Coming for Queen Bey?
Shortly after Beyoncé announced her new athleisure clothing line, Ivy Park, on Thursday, March 31, activewear brand Lululemon sent out a now-deleted tweet seemingly implying that the superstar modeled her pieces after their designs.
A Twitter user innocently asked, “Is Ivy Park supposed to be like lululemon?” The popular retailer then replied: “They do say imitation is the best form of flattery. Maybe Beyonce is so Crazy in Love with our brand, she made her own.”
While the tweet was apparently written in jest, Bey’s fervent fans immediately lashed out at Lululemon’s comment.
One member of the Beyhive predicted a harrowing future for the label, writing, “RIP lululemon #IvyPark,” while another wrote: “When you think [Beyonce’s] dropping an album but she actually drop kicks lulu lemon.”
@RadiantTiffani Hey now, you won’t find us six feet under. We love a little competition, especially with the Queen B.
— lululemon (@lululemon) March 31, 2016
Although Lululemon’s original sentiment was largely interpreted as shade, the fashion company posted several messages, explaining that they in no way intended to start beef with Bey.
@OhhhHaiOlivia We’re not throwing punches. Everyone needs a little healthy competition.
— lululemon (@lululemon) March 31, 2016
“Hey now, you won’t find us six feet under. We love a little competition, especially with the Queen B,” Lululemon noted. In a follow-up post, they added: “We’re not throwing punches. Everyone needs a little healthy competition.”
In a slew of similar apology tweets, Lululemon insisted that they “are huge fans” of the pop diva and that they “never meant any harm” by insinuating that they inspired Ivy Park.
@OJTheNigerian We’ll own that. We’re huge fans of hers and never meant any harm.
— lululemon (@lululemon) March 31, 2016
In the stunning music video-style ad for the collection, Beyoncé, 34, puts her fit frame on display in a variation of swimsuits, sports bras, leggings and more.
“I would wake up in the morning and my dad would come knocking on my door, tell me it’s time to go running,” she says in the two-minute clip. “I remember wanting to stop, but I would push myself to keep going. [Running in the park] taught me discipline and I would think about my dreams. I would think about the sacrifices my parents made for me. I would think about my little sister and how I was her hero. I would look at the beauty around me — the sunshine through the trees. I would keep breathing.”
The mom of Blue Ivy, 4, then explains how working out at the park helped transform her body and mind following the birth of her daughter.
“There are things I’m still afraid of. When I have to conquer those things, I still go back to that park. Before I hit the stage, I go back to that park. When it was time for me to give birth, I went back to that park,” Beyoncé continues in the clip. “The park became a state of mind. The park became my strength. The park is what made me who I am. Where’s your park?”
