Edit filter log

'{{about|the retail chain|countries dependent on a single, limited-resource export|Banana republic|other uses|Banana republic (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox company| | name = Banana Republic | logo = Banana Republic logo.png | logo_size = 250px | caption = | type = Division of Gap | foundation = {{nowrap|{{start date and age|1978}}<br>[[Mill Valley, California|Mill Valley]], [[California]], [[United States|U.S.]]}} | founder = [[Mel Ziegler]]<br>[[Patricia Ziegler]] | location = {{nowrap|[[San Francisco]], California, U.S.}} | locations = 642 | key_people = [[Art Peck]] <small>([[Chief executive officer|CEO]] of parent Gap, Inc.)</small><br>Mark Breitbard ([[President & CEO]]) | industry = [[Retail]] | parent = [[Gap Inc.]] (1983–present) | products = Clothing | homepage = [http://www.bananarepublic.com/ BananaRepublic.com] }} '''Banana Republic''' is an American clothing and accessories retailer owned by American [[Multinational corporation|multinational]] corporation, [[Gap Inc.]] It was founded in 1978 by [[Mel Ziegler|Mel and Patricia Ziegler]] with the name "Banana Republic Travel & Safari Clothing Company" with a safari theme; in 1983, Gap purchased the company, changed the name to simply "Banana Republic", and gave it a more upscale image.<ref name="msnbc">{{cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24205563/ns/business-retail/t/major-retailers-launch-upscale-collections/#.Tt1xfFYzSRn |title=Major retailers launch upscale collections - Business - Retail &#124; NBC News |publisher=MSNBC |date=2008-04-20 |accessdate=2013-03-03}}</ref> Banana Republic has more than 600 stores located internationally. In late 2016 the brand announced [[Olivia Palermo]] as its first women's global style ambassador.<ref name="LIMEI HOANG">LIMEI HOANG, [https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/struggling-banana-republic-appoints-olivia-palermo-style-ambassador Banana Republic Pins Hopes on Olivia Palermo] businessoffashion.com SEPTEMBER 9, 2016</ref><ref>PRNewswire, [http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/banana-republic-announces-olivia-palermo-as-global-style-ambassador-300324932.html Banana Republic Announces Olivia Palermo As Global Style Ambassador] Sept. 9, 2016</ref> ==History== The original Banana Republic was founded by [[Mel Ziegler|Mel]] and [[Patricia Ziegler]] in 1978.<ref>Klara, Robert [http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/banana-republic-was-mainstream-fashion-it-was-weirdly-wonderful-safari-brand-170059 Before Banana Republic Was Mainstream Fashion, It Was a Weirdly Wonderful Safari Brand: Revisiting the pith helmets, Jeeps and life-size giraffes] ''AdWeek''. March 17, 2016</ref> The couple were known for acquiring interesting clothing items that their travel-related jobs brought them in contact with. They eventually opened a store in the [[Mill Valley, California|Mill Valley]] area of Northern California.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lancercreative.com/2013/05/banana-republic-a-look-back/|title=Banana Republic: A Look Back - Lancer Creative Services|website=Lancercreative.com|accessdate=14 July 2016}}</ref> They were known for a hand-drawn catalogue of items with fictional traveler/explorer stories printed alongside, and their safari-themed retail locations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://scottcadams.com/bananarepublic/the-adventure-begins/|title=The Adventure Begins....|date=10 May 2011|website=Scottcadams.com|accessdate=14 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://discoveries.vdaproductions.com/articles/29724/banana-republic-themed-retail-that-once-was/|title=Banana Republic - Themed Retail That Once Was|website=Discoveries.vdaproductions.com|accessdate=14 July 2016}}</ref> [[Gap Inc.]] acquired Banana Republic in 1983, eventually rebranding it as a mainstream luxury clothing retailer. The literate articles, hand-drawn catalog, and eccentric tourist-oriented items were phased out and were replaced with more luxurious, but not unique, items for which the brand is currently known. To set itself apart from Gap as a more upmarket brand, Banana Republic occasionally buys and refurbishes historic buildings for its retail locations. ==Locations== [[File:Banana Republic, 107 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017, USA - Mar 2013.jpg|thumb|Inside the store]] [[Image:banamtl2.jpg|thumb|Banana Republic on Saint Catherine Street in [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]].]] [[File:BananaRepublicMarkville.jpg|thumb|Banana Republic in [[Markville Shopping Centre]]]] [[File:Banana Republic, Bonifacio Global City.jpg|thumb|right|A Banana Republic outlet in [[Bonifacio Global City]], [[Philippines]]]] The company operates more than 500 Banana Republic stores in the United States (including [[Puerto Rico]]), 40 stores in Canada, and 61 stores beyond North America. The Gap, Inc. is expanding its international presence with franchise agreements for Gap and Banana Republic in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. In 2015 Banana Republic opened a new flagship in [[Manhattan]] on [[Fifth Avenue]] and 18th Street. Banana Republic opened its first store outside North America in 2005 in Tokyo's [[Ginza]] shopping district. Banana Republic's presence in South Korea debuted in August 2007 with a store in the [[Apkujeong]] district of [[Seoul]]. In 2007, the first Banana Republic stores opened at [[The Avenues (Kuwait)|The Avenues shopping mall]] in [[Kuwait City]], Kuwait; [[Senayan City]] in [[Jakarta]], Indonesia; and [[Pavilion Kuala Lumpur]] in [[Kuala Lumpur]], Malaysia. Banana Republic opened its first store in Turkey in March 2008 in the [[Kanyon Shopping Mall, Istanbul|Kanyon Shopping Mall]] in [[Istanbul]].<ref>[https://archive.is/20120730140249/http://www.fibaholding.com.tr/en/biz.php?bolum=Biz&konu=7 ]</ref> By May 2008, [[İstinye]] Park Shopping Mall and [[Nişantaşı]] stores were also opened in Istanbul. More stores are planned to be opened in [[Ankara]] and [[İzmir]] by the end of 2008 to bring the total number of stores in Turkey to six.<ref>[https://archive.is/20130418144248/http://www.fibaholding.com.tr/tr/sirketler.php?gid=4&sid=63 ]</ref> Banana Republic opened in Saudi Arabia in late 2008, with a store in [[Mall of Arabia (Jeddah)|Mall of Arabia]] in [[Jeddah]] and a second in Riyadh Gallery Mall in [[Riyadh]] in March 2009.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}} On March 2008, Banana Republic opened its {{convert|17000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} store on [[Regent Street]] in London, England.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.regentstreetonline.com/NR/exeres/77E1FDC6-9A0A-4F3E-8B6D-7645BF887A03,frameless.htm?NRMODE=Published|title=Regent Street Online|website=Regentstreetonline.com|accessdate=14 July 2016}}</ref> On May 9, 2008, Banana Republic opened its store on [[Greenbelt (Ayala Center)|Greenbelt 5]] in [[Makati City]], Philippines. On October 2016, Banana Republic announced that it would close all its UK stores by the end of the year, due to falling sales.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/oct/18/gap-to-shut-all-banana-republic-shops-in-the-uk|title=Gap to shut all Banana Republic shops in the UK|first=|last=Reuters|date=18 October 2016|publisher=|via=The Guardian}}</ref> ==Clothing lines== {| |- |valign="top"| ;Collections *BR Monogram<ref name="msnbc" /> *Heritage *Sunday Sunday |valign="top"| ;Capsule collections *Trina Turk *Anna Karenina *Mad Men *Milly NY *Issa London *L'Wren Scott *Marimekko *Roland Mouret |} ==Store count== {{Portal|San Francisco Bay Area|Companies}} As of the end of the first quarter of 2011, Banana Republic had 682 company-owned or franchised stores in operation across 32 countries, shipped to 20 countries through company owned websites, and had the ability to ship to more than 50 countries through a 3rd party.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gapinc.com/content/dam/gapincsite/documents/Global_Footprint.pdf |title=Archived copy |accessdate=August 8, 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928045705/http://www.gapinc.com/content/dam/gapincsite/documents/Global_Footprint.pdf |archivedate=September 28, 2011 }}</ref> {| style="width:60%;" |- | style="width:15%; vertical-align:top; text-align:left;"| ; North America * {{USA}}: 536 * {{CAN}}: 40 * {{MEX}}: 8 ; Africa * {{MAR}}: 1 * {{SAF}}: 1 ; Europe * {{UK}}: 8 * {{TUR}}: 6 * {{RUS}}: 5 * {{AZE}}: 1 * {{FRA}}: 1 * {{GEO}}: 1 * {{CRO}}: 1 | style="width:15%; vertical-align:top; text-align:left;"| ; Asia * {{JPN}}: 28 * {{KOR}}: 9 * {{PHI}}: 4 * {{IDN}}: 3 * {{SAU}}: 3 * {{UAE}}: 3 * {{MYS}}: 2 * {{SIN}}: 2 * {{BHR}}: 1 * {{KUW}}: 1 * {{QAT}}: 1 * {{THA}}: 1 * {{VIE}}: 1 | style="width:15%; vertical-align:top; text-align:left;"| ; South America * {{CHL}}: 10 * {{PER}}: 2 * {{COL}}: 1 ; Central America * {{CRI}}: 1 * {{SLV}}: 1<ref>{{cite web|author=EconomĂa |url=http://elmundo.com.sv/roble-inicia-cambios-en-multiplaza-y-metrocentro |title=Noticias de El Salvador &#124; Diario El Mundo » Roble inicia cambios en Multiplaza y Metrocentro |publisher=Elmundo.com.sv |date= |accessdate=2013-03-03 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028144706/http://elmundo.com.sv/roble-inicia-cambios-en-multiplaza-y-metrocentro |archivedate=2012-10-28 }}</ref> |} ==Controversy== In October 2017, a Banana Republic manager was fired after he told an employee that her box braids were too "urban" and "unkempt" for the store's image and that she couldn't receive any shifts until she removed them. <ref>{{Cite news|url=http://fox8.com/2017/10/10/banana-republic-manager-fired-for-sending-employee-home-over-braids-that-were-too-urban/|title=Banana Republic manager fired for sending employee home over braids that were too ‘urban’|date=2017-10-10|work=fox8.com|access-date=2017-10-12|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/a12814869/banana-republic-employee-braids-called-too-urban/|title=Banana Republic Manager Fired After Allegedly Calling an Employee’s Braids too “Urban”|date=2017-10-10|work=Cosmopolitan|access-date=2017-10-12|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/banana-republic-box-braids-discrimination-allegation|title=This Woman Is CALLING OUT Banana Republic for Discriminating Against Her Hair|last=Wu|first=Sarah|work=Teen Vogue|access-date=2017-10-12|language=en}}</ref> ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{commons category|Banana Republic}} * [http://www.bananarepublic.com/ U.S. official website] * [http://www.bananarepublic.ca/ Canadian official website] * [http://www.bananarepublic.co.jp/ Japanese official website] * [http://www.bananarepublic.eu/ European official website] {{Gap Inc.}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Banana Republic (Clothing Retailer)}} [[Category:Clothing brands of the United States]] [[Category:Shoe brands]] [[Category:Clothing retailers of the United States]] [[Category:Gap brands]] [[Category:Fashion accessory brands]] [[Category:Online clothing retailers]] [[Category:Underwear brands]] [[Category:Retail companies based in California]] [[Category:Companies based in San Francisco]] [[Category:American companies established in 1978]] [[Category:Clothing companies established in 1978]] [[Category:Retail companies established in 1978]] [[Category:1978 establishments in California]] [[Category:Mill Valley, California]] [[Category:Eyewear brands of the United States]]'