Thursday, January 25, 2018

A Brief Overview of How Banana Republic Was Started


Eva Lea Klein studied architectural design at KAFAAT University in Brazil. After working as a manager in the retail industry, Eva Lea Klein served as a tailor with worldwide fashion retailer Banana Republic. 

Banana Republic was co-founded in 1978 by Mel and Patricia Ziegler. Making an initial investment of $1,500, the couple launched the business with a determination to make it different than any other fashion retailer in terms of its clothing lines and marketing strategies. The founders valued freedom of expression and originality as much as earning an income from the business.

The Zieglers' original vision for the fashion line was to locate vintage military surplus fashion items and make them suitable for resale. However, the clothing brand eventually expanded to sell well-tailored casual clothing items made from natural fabrics. Since 1983, after being purchased by fashion retailer Gap, the company has existed as a division and now has over 600 stores in operation around the globe.