We developed a series of in-store art installations for Lululemon retail outlets throughout China (Xi’an, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Shanghai, Beijing, etc.)

The installations integrate local culture and storytelling with the spirit of the Lululemon brand (fun, dynamic, pioneering, active lifestyle) to present a vibrant and creative consumer experience.

Spicy Happiness

It’s no secret that Chongqing‘ers love spicy food and hotpot. With that in mind, this artwork centers on these two quintessential elements of the Chongqing lifestyle.

Modeled after traditional Chongqing-style hotpot, the artwork’s circular composition is divided into nine frames. In each standalone scene, a cast of humanoid hot peppers is shown going about their day.

Whether it be exercising, bonding with friends over hotpot, enjoying street food, playing mahjong, or riding on subway lines that cut through high rises, these familiar Chongqing activities are brought to life through together with the brand in our playful illustrations.

City Treasures

The artwork for Xiamen features Lululemon’s brand mantra of “Sweat, Grow, Bond” was reinterpreted in a type treatment designed in the likeness of a treasure map.

Housed inside the type design are illustrations depicting some of the city’s most distinctive characteristics, such as its beautiful coasts and the active, yet un-rushed, lifestyle of the locals.

The map leads consumers on a treasure hunt where they’ll discover iconic Xiamen cityscapes and Lululemon-themed easter eggs throughout.

Yoga Pagoda

Centered on Xi’an as an ancient capital and renowned foodie destination, this three-panel installation uses layered 3D elements and fabrics from Lululemon product to show the city from a fresh perspective.

Each design uses colors and materials from the brand’s apparel and yoga mats to evoke the historic charm of old Xi’an, featuring sites like the Wild Goose Pagoda and the Terracotta Army.

Different yoga poses give the terracotta warrior a sporty look, perfectly combining the traditional and the modern.

Hi-Tech Urban Explorations

Shenzhen is the heart of China’s electronics industry, as such, for this design we created a series of “Screenhead” characters to encourage people to put down their devices, head outdoors, and work up a sweat.

In a city panorama surrounded by green mountains, this installation shows the Screenhead characters in Lululemon apparel engaged in healthy lifestyle activities like yoga, biking, jogging, and skipping rope.

Brand elements and everyday details from Shenzhen are interspersed throughout, showing the spirit of Lululemon and the fun of getting out into the city.

Multiverse

Inspired by the tagline “Ignite Possibility,” we’ve created an art installation that uses layered elements, staggered placement, and masked alphabet letters in an imaginative type design.

Within each letter, viewers are given a glimpse into the whimsical universe of Lululemon, a world populated by sports lovers and active lifestyle enthusiasts.

The bottom and middle row depict familiar modern Shanghai landmarks and surrounding areas while the top row features the nearby ancient town of Qibao (where the store is located). With this installation, we pay homage to the active lifestyle long celebrated by Lululemon and Shanghai residents alike.

Winter Games

Inspired by the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, this imaginative design spotlights iconic architecture in the Chinese capital and a cast of winter athletes. The installation communicates the competitive spirit that sports enthusiasts can expect to see out of the ancient city in the forthcoming Games. Further, the in-store execution of the artwork is layered with several elements mechanically animated bringing alive the athletes throughout the composition.

Fun details are sprinkled throughout the composition: a snowboarder can be seen catching air over the Great Wall, a free climber is scaling the Temple of Heaven, while a skier speeds down the snow-covered roof of a traditional siheyuan. In the upper section, the moat surrounding the Forbidden City is shown frozen over, turning into an ice rink for figure skaters and hockey players. Beijing’s National Aquatic Center—the venue set to host the Winter Games—also appears in frame, teasing the upcoming competitions. All these elements come together to celebrate Beijing as the first-ever city to host both the Summer and Winter Games.

Summer Games

Inspired by the Summer Olympics, this imaginative illustration spotlights iconic architecture in the Chinese capital and a cast of summer athletes. The installation communicates the competitive spirit that sports enthusiasts can expect to see out of the ancient city in the forthcoming Games. Further, the in-store execution of the artwork is layered with several elements mechanically animated bringing alive the athletes throughout the composition.

Fun details are sprinkled throughout the composition: a BMXer can be seen catching air over the Great Wall, a free climber is scaling the Temple of Heaven, while a hurdler jumps over the roof of a traditional siheyuan. In the upper section, the lake surrounding the Forbidden City, its turned into a water wonderland for synchronized swimmers and wind-surfers. Beijing’s National Aquatic Center—the venue set to host the Winter Games—also appears in frame, teasing the upcoming competitions. All these elements come together to celebrate Beijing as the first-ever city to host both the Summer and Winter Games.

Physical Education

Located in Shanghai’s Wujiaochang, the Hopson One lululemon store is situated within a buzzing hub of college life. 

This artwork captures the youthful energy of the neighborhood, showcases the area’s distinctive architecture, and celebrates the athletic lifestyles led by local students.

Shanghai Deco Slang

Inspired by the lululemon brand spirit and the tagline “be all in,” this mural blends iconic elements of Shanghai art deco architecture with key phrases from the brand manifesto. These phrases, rewritten with linguistic flourishes based on colloquial Shanghainese, are brought together in a cohesive geometric design.

Rhythm of the City

Inspired by the lululemon brand spirit and the tagline “be all in,” this mural blends iconic elements of Shanghai art deco architecture with key phrases from the brand manifesto. These phrases, rewritten with linguistic flourishes based on colloquial Shanghainese, are brought together in a cohesive geometric design.

Beijing is a city of perpetual motion, a place where people are free to be themselves. When people first visit, they’re often in awe at its lively bustle. For those who choose to stay, they’ll quickly find themselves moving in rhythm with the city’s quickness. With considerations to these aspects of the Chinese capital, and lululemon’s focus on body and spirit, along with the brand’s commitment to an athletic lifestyle, the artwork for the lululemon store in Beijing’s SOLANA shopping mall illustrates the ways that Beijing culture and lululemon’s brand ethos intersect. Through a seemingly fluid, flowing composition, the dynamic pace of Beijing and the movement-driven mindset of the lululemon brand are brought to life.

White Collar Yoga

Beijing doesn’t take breaks. Day or night, the city is forever moving. The grind doesn’t stop for Beijingers, and through this artwork, we look to visualize the urban hustle. Office workers are depicted in a variety of situations—grabbing coffee, racing off to the metro station, typing away in front of their computer, or responding to work messages. Through it all, they’ve managed to keep their love of yoga alive. In this artwork, exaggerated yoga movements and colorful characters give shape to Beijing’s bustle.

Beijing Attitude

No matter how busy it gets, Beijingers always seem able to maintain a positive mindset. By sticking with their sporty interests, they’re able to shed the anxiety and stress that comes with the urban hustle. Through this art work, we visualize the importance of unwinding from work through an active lifestyle—whether it be running, yoga, or even a game of ping pong.

Weekend in Beijing

What do weekends look like in the older parts of Beijing? Whether it be roller blading in Houhai Park, strolling through Sanlitun, or cycling through the hutongs, Beijingers have their own ways of relaxing. This art piece, depicting different sports and Bejing landmarks, is inspired by young Beijing inhabitants who look to an active lifestyle as a means of relaxation, an ethos similarly promoted by lululemon.

At the mere mention of Chengdu, many things come to mind: giant pandas, tea houses, and the regional cuisine are obvious, but these barely scratch the surface of the city’s deep cultural heritage. Tapping into the visual motifs that people associate with the city, we unveiled a mural that captures the laidback lifestyle of Chengdu. From local folk culture and traditional dishes to the city’s architecture and youthful lifestyle, the characteristics that define the city share many parallels with lululemon’s brand ethos.

Mahjong Capital

Riffing on Chengdu’s love of Mahjong, tiles from the beloved game are used to spell out “Chengdu” in Chinese. Atop the tiles, rather than the expected designs, lululemon logos and characters assuming yoga positions appear instead. Alongside them, recognizable landmarks from across Chengdu, the city’s folk art traditions, and its renowned cuisine are also imprinted for an additional playful touch.

Yogo Stronghold

For this artwork, mahjong tiles designed with disparate references to Chengdu culture and the lululemon brand are laid face up. On them, the city’s landmarks appear along with characters striking a range of yoga poses. Together, these designs reflect lululemon’s brand spirit and how its attitude towards living an athletic life can exist alongside Chengdu’s cultural roots.

Laidback Chengdu

Pandas, bamboo grove, Sanxingdui, tea houses, chili-oil dumpings, and other aspects of Chengdu culture all make cameos on the colorful composition. The landmark building that houses this particular lululemon store even makes an appearance. The city’s inhabitants strike yoga poses against this backdrop, demonstrating the sporty but laidback lifestyle of the city and the lululemon brand.

The Sweatlife

Without movement, life is dull. Staying active, getting sweaty, and being passionate about life are essential to a person’s well-being. “The Sweatlife” is a slogan that captures this idea to a tee, and this concept is the axis that this artwork revolves around. With overlapping characters and shapes, this art piece gives shape to movement via bold colors and abstract patterns. In the scene, the lululemon spirit is shown through a community of athletes getting sweaty in their own ways.

Shanghai Looking Glass

The aged villas of Shanghai tell stories that span centuries. Their windows are the witness to an evolution of haipai (海派) culture, and through them, they’ve lent a multitude of perspectives for generations throughout the city’s history.

Through a large stained-glass installation that has replaced the building’s windows, we present a story of Shanghai as it changes from day to night. On the installation, we depict youth engaged in a variety of fitness pursuits, dapper grandpas and qipao-wearing grandmas strolling the streets, and highlight iconic haipai motifs—such as white magnolias, shikumen designs, and haipai-inspired interior designs. Together, these human elements and architectural details showcase the unique local character that can be found on any ordinary day in Shanghai.

Flowing Through

This mural showcases the growth and development of the Lululemon brand from West to East. A diverse community of athletes start in Vancouver and flow their way across the frame from right to left, crossing the Pacific Ocean and arriving in Shanghai. Along the way, the group engages in a variety of activities and sports as an expression of the brand’s active lifestyle DNA. The mural shows the evolution of a “yoga pants” brand into a global athleisure phenomenon and lifestyle fashion brand with industry-leading functional sportswear technology. The commonality within the group is a commitment to living in the moment, connected, flowing, and full of vitality. The mural was executed in Lululemon’s brand new Shanghai Flagship store covering a wall approximately 8 meters long and 3 meters high.

Modern Community

The mural design is inspired by traditional “Shikumen” alley life of local Shanghai residents in the area nearby TaiKoo Hui, where the Lululemon store is located. The maze of dense lanes shows a group of childhood friends playing and having fun as part of a large, interconnected community. The mural is an evolution of the same group of friends growing up and blossoming into the world with different trajectories but retaining a spirt of play and a passion for an active lifestyle. The concept brings together people who love sports and fitness but live in different times and of different backgrounds: some are kicking a shuttlecock, office workers are enjoying a morning jog, while others practice yoga or play tennis. The past is intertwined with modern life as we pursue an active lifestyle. Throughout the composition you can also find slogans and sayings from Shanghaiese dialect created in a font style reminiscent of old Shanghai editorial magazines. The mural was executed in Lululemon’s new Taikoo Hui store covering a wall approximately 10 meters long and 3 meters high.