One of Vancouver’s darkest secrets is slowly getting out, infamous athletic/yoga wear providers Lululemon may actually have some edge to them after all.
Now, Lululemon is almost as stereotypically Vancouver as Gore-tex, stoners and 2am closing times. When every young sprightly yoga enthusiast has a Lululemon logo covering their tramp stamp (look it up people), you know a company has made serious in roads. Hell, I’ll even admit to owning to a few Lulu hoodies as they’re just too damn comfy and I’ll sacrifice a touch of “street cred” for comfort at the end of the day (screams of hypocrite to the usual address).
But behind their pro-yoga, positivity pressing, do one thing a day that waters you public face, the company has shown it’s teeth with the launch of its “cheer gear” or as they put it, “Cool Sporting Event That Takes Place in British Columbia Between 2009 & 2011” edition clothing.
Now, it’s a beautiful PR move and a classic raised middle finger to the cloying behavior shown by the Vancouver Olympic Committee in the run up to the 2010 Winter Games here in February. Lulu says it’s an array of regionally specific clothing designed to help show your support for athletes not only at the Olympics but at any major international event coming up.
VanOc with their notoriously almost fascist protection of the Olympic brand that has seen them go after pizza parlors over use of the “Olympic Name” are acting like spoilt children, noting although Lulu is well within the letter of the law, it’s to them, a fashionable of unfair play.
At the end of the day though, Lululemon appears to have won the battle and the war. Their Cheerwear continues to sell out of all the stores it’s available at while getting the word out about it’s product. Vanoc’s black eye continues and the official Olympicwear being sold by Canadian dept store, the Bay, still sits in outlets looking like it’s gathering dust. Score gold for the smaller guy.