mumumelon is a dupe activewear brand. A deliberate shameless copy of lululemon. We made it to make a point.
What lululemon are doing.
lululemon made over $11 billion in revenue last year.[1] In that same year, their greenhouse gas emissions increased by 14%.[2] Actually, they've risen every year since records began.
That's because most of lululemon's manufacturing is powered by fossil fuels, like coal, even when cleaner energy sources exist.[2]
lululemon's original manifesto[3] said: “what we do to the earth, we do to ourselves.” If they truly believe that, they probably need a lesson in self-care.
What we did instead.
It took us a matter of weeks to build a fake brand with products made by workers earning a living wage, in a wind and solar-powered factory. We even developed a plan to fully electrify our supply chain by 2040.
We're not trying to compete with lululemon. We're just trying to embarrass them gently, in a friendly, encouraging way.
Lululemon will soon have a new CEO. They could carry on down the same path that's leading to shareholder drama, or they could do something better…
What lululemon could do.
- 1. Build a fully fossil-free supply chain, by supporting suppliers to switch to wind and solar, and investing in electrification solutions like industrial heat pumps.
- 2. Invest in the communities making their clothes, who face the worst impacts of the climate crisis.
- 3. Publish a real climate transition plan. Time-bound commitments with dollar amounts, grounded in climate science. Not just vague ambitions.
Or they could do none of that, and sue us instead.
Bring on the lululawyers.
What you can do.
Share this page with others to let them know what lululemon is (and isn't) doing.
We'll also be uploading a film soon, where you can tag @lululemon in the comments.
About the products.
Where are these products made?
The t-shirts, vests, joggers and sweatshirts are sourced from Community Clothing. They are cut and sewn in the UK, and the fabric is spun and knitted in the UK too. According to Community Clothing, everyone involved in making their clothes is paid at least the national living wage.
The matching yoga sets are sourced from Gata Sports. They are cut, sewn and printed in Pakistan.
What are the products made from?
The t-shirts, vests and sweatshirts are made from natural materials: 100% organic cotton, certified by GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard). The cotton is grown on a single farm, JG Boswell, a multi-generational family run cotton growing business in the San Joaquin Valley of California, USA. It is then spun in the UK by English Fine Cottons in Manchester, before being knitted and dyed in Leicestershire.
The matching yoga sets are made from synthetic materials: 75–80% nylon, 20–25% spandex.
What type of energy are the products made with?
All of the products are cut, sewn and printed in factories that use 100% renewable electricity, both in the UK and in Pakistan.
Will these products end up in landfill?
For this campaign, we only produced a total of XX products, and have no plans to make more. Most of the products will be gifted to yoga teachers, influencers, and members of our team. Any remaining products will either be donated to charity or retained for use in future campaigns.
Are these products 'sustainable'?
No. No clothing product is truly sustainable, and any brand claiming to be sustainable is probably greenwashing.
But our products are quantifiably better than lululemon's on the one specific indicator that matters most to us: renewable energy in manufacturing.
While there is certainly room for improvement when it comes to other indicators, such as the use of synthetic materials, the plan we're asking lululemon to adopt — electrify the supply chain, switch fossil fuels for wind and solar, and publish a time-bound transition plan — is the same standard we're holding ourselves to.
Follow the campaign.
This campaign is run by Action Speaks Louder, a non-profit organisation pushing lululemon to clean up its supply chain.