Lululemon was the Canadian athletic-apparel retailer founded in Vancouver in 1998.
Chip Wilson founded the company after becoming interested in yoga and the need for better women’s yoga clothing. Lululemon began as a design and apparel business in Vancouver, and its first standalone store opened in November 2000. The brand became especially associated with close-fitting yoga pants and technical fabrics.
The company’s name is commonly styled “lululemon,” in lowercase, although “Lululemon” is the familiar quiz and general-language form. Wilson has said he chose a name containing multiple Ls partly because he believed the sound would seem distinctively Western to Japanese consumers.
The retailer later expanded beyond yoga wear into running apparel, training clothes, footwear, accessories and lifestyle products. It is often confused with Nike, Under Armour or Athleta, but those are separate brands with different founders and corporate histories. Vancouver remains central to the company’s identity and headquarters.