Ben Stubbington

Why Him

The former creative director at Theory, he now leads men’s design at Lululemon—so he’s behind most of the clothes in your gym bag. He’s dedicated to art and yoga, which help him to manage pain from a botched procedure he underwent at 27 for a running-related knee problem.

Where does your drive come from?

It’s multifaceted. One component is that my family never set expectations for me to do or be anything—their quest was to give me the tools to be a good human, to use my natural talents and to leave a positive mark on those around me. Another component: I was in an accident at 27 that left me unable to walk unaided and I lived in heavy pain for a few years. Drive is the only reason I can walk today, both metaphorically and physically.

The best memories often result from going off the grid or off schedule. Describe one.

After just one lesson, I went on a four-day off-road motorbike trip—with a group of guys who all knew what they were doing and whom I’d mostly never met before. My ego was on the floor. I got lost after an hour and nearly hit a coyote. But I realized this would not kill me and I had survived much worse. Sometimes you need a little discomfort to find comfort.