Lululemon has reshuffled its fabric development team after notable issues with products drew a wave of complaints from customers.
The athleisure wear brand confirmed on Wednesday that it made organizational changes in August to bring some of its raw material functions near its vendors in regions where goods are being produced in a move that was first reported by Bloomberg.
“We evolved our Raw Materials Development team structure to bring certain capabilities closer to our vendor partners, reflecting where the work can be most effectively performed and supported,” the company said.
The revamp also comes with a shift in personnel and seven jobs were cut as a result of the changes and positions specializing in raw materials were listed on its career website for Taipei and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Lululemon is apparently looking to curb a series of problems that ultimately impacted the production of items that drew significant backlash from its customers over quality, particularly with its popular leggings.
The brand saw criticism in January after its Get Low leggings collection was singled out for being too sheer and the issue was heightened when bending or squatting, with sales in North America later being halted. Meanwhile, the company’s founder Chip Wilson used the mishap to attack Lululemon’s leadership as part of a public proxy battle that would later be settled.
A similar quality issue surfaced in 2024 with the company’s Breezethrough leggings that were pulled from sale after customers said the tights created an unflattering appearance when worn that resembled a whale’s tail. The pants were also called out over waistband positioning, seams and small sizing.
In 2013, the brand took a major blow after its black Luon yoga pants became see-through when stretched, triggering a recall of nearly 17 percent of the company’s inventory. Wilson was also blasted for suggesting that issues with the pants were because of the shape of some women’s bodies and not because of a widespread production flaw.
The move to reorganize the fabric team took place before new CEO Heidi O’Neill officially took on her role in September. O’Neill has vowed to steer the struggling brand through an ongoing turnaround effort and announced the creation of a new product chief position, with former Athleta CEO joining Lululemon and Joseph Godsey coming on as the new chief operating officer.
