Ben Stubbington has shifted perception and injected his artist-first, holistic approach to design. Which has successfully shaped and grown multiple businesses. Ben doesn’t just design, he forms the soul, full vision and possibility of a product or brand, thinking with the wearer as a guide. His aesthetic is considered, investigative, contemplative and conversational.
Ben has lead design teams for the past 19 years. Most recently as the SVP of Design at Lululemon, reimagining the men’s and Lab departments. The men’s business has grown over five times in his tenure of nearly seven years and most importantly formed an indelible foundation and unique aesthetic sensibility.
Prior to Lululemon, the CFDA member served as Creative Director at Theory for eight years, leading a progressive movement of modern, technical, utilitarian, and refined, relaxed tailoring.
Ben doesn’t just design. He forms the soul, full vision and possibility of a product or brand, thinking with the wearer as a guide. His aesthetic is considered, investigative, contemplative and conversational. Thinking with a design lead merchandising mind is something that has helped Ben help grow businesses.
Growing up on the south coast of England, Ben’s creativity and curiosity have been his guiding light to understanding cultural movements and trends. He investigates how material should breathe and maximize itself, functionally and aesthetically. Form, function and reasoning are always at the forefront of Ben’s internal and external dialogue, dialing back to a place of minimal beauty and functional intent.
Ben’s deepest focus is on Menswear: Tailoring / Outerwear / Lounge / Sweaters / Technical sport to Casual sportswear. Additionally, his guidance has extended to Women’s and Accessories.
Ben is always creating and soaking in a multitude of art forms – from a way of moving in life, to fine art and music. After gaining a Bachelor of Arts Honors from the University of Brighton in Fashion Design and Business studies, with a Minor in Print, Ben acquired a wealth of knowledge in London and Dublin at Griffin / Copperwheat-Blundell and John Rocha. He ventured onward to NYC taking on roles at AE / Banana Republic, and taking on leadership roles at Calvin Klein / Rogan-Loomstate / Theory and Lululemon.
An artist in all facets of his life, Ben is a Fine Artist that has shown his work in New York. Ben also has a music project with his bandmates entitled 'Tallest Poppy.' Ben has lectured, judged and been involved in Q&A’s with Oxford University, Oxford, UK / SAIC, Chicago, US / ASU, Arizona, US / Joes Black Book / Kwantlen University, Vancouver, CAN. Beyond all, he enjoys mentoring and providing guidance and advice to students and his teams. Helping others edit and curate is a skill Ben truly thrives from. Loyal and creative teams have been key to Ben’s successes.
Lululemon (2016-current)
Ben joined the Vancouver-based athleticwear brand to steer the Lululemon Men’s and Lab businesses with focus on building a vision around the brand / guest / product, and holistic experience. He collaborated with partners to identify opportunities and access for the men’s guest. Through significant R&D, Ben and his team significantly defined the Lululemon men’s guest – who he is, what he wants, and how to give him access to an elevated brand experience through product. Functionality, innovation, service and aesthetic vision helped define the Lululemon that stands today and onward. Key elements include instilling the aesthetic and functional codes based around the fundamentals of making the wearer look and feel: more prepared / at comfort / more seen and heard and aesthetically sharp and ready for life. Touch, temperature and movement are vital to all creations.
Focusing on intentional versatility, and/or specificity, has been key to the brand’s success. Building and innovating on wardrobe staples, and expanding the guest’s wardrobe with Lululemon product - Product that can take you from the most hardcore training session to a sophisticated evening out. Alongside the men’s business, Ben provided creative direction for the holistic brand.
Ben has owned the vision and positioning of men’s and women's ‘Lab’ (Lululemon’s progressive instigator). Starting new conversations with product for the existing and new guests has diversified Lululemon’s product experience.
Ben was responsible for collaborations with: Robert Geller / Roden Gray / Barry’s Bootcamp / Wilderness / Mark Healy / Madhappy / Soul Cycle. He has worked with the brand’s athletes and ambassadors that are the soul of the Lululemon, utilizing lab testing for optimal movement, comfort, and innovation. Ben is in deep relationships with the ambassadors, listening to product feedback and actioning solves for a better fit, feel and wear.
Theory (2009-2016)
As Creative Director of Theory Menswear, Ben worked directly with Andrew Rosen to create the iconic menswear brand Theory as it still stands today. The collections sold globally, with the largest imprints in North America / Japan / Korea and China. During Ben’s tenure, Theory menswear was heralded in the industry as leading a progressive movement of modern utilitarianism and refined easy tailoring.
Ben’s eye for iconic fit, modern progressive fabrications, and minimal yet thoughtful styling, were the lifeblood of the collections. The collections consisted of ‘seasonal deliveries’ and ‘timeless staples,’ grounded in elevated tailored casuals through to luxe elevated tailoring. Ben’s collections were shown in high regard at NYFW presentations.
Ben’s work was worn by iconic figures in popular culture including Brad Pitt, Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z, Edward Norton, Novak Djokovik, Adam Scott, John Krasinski, Steve McQueen, Seth Rogan and many more. He was inducted as a member of the CFDA in 2016.
2000 - 2009 - AE / Banana Republic / Calvin Klein / Loomstate-Rogan
benstubbington@gmail.com