Banana Republic

Banana Republic is a clothing and accessories retailer owned by American multinational corporation Gap Inc. It was founded in 1978 by Mel and Patricia Ziegler with a safari theme; in 1983, Gap purchased the company and gave it a more upscale image. Banana Republic has over 600 stores located internationally.
== History ==
The original Banana Republic was founded by Mel and Patricia Ziegler in 1978.
The couple was 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 area of Northern California.
 They were known for a hand-drawn catalogue of items with fictional 
traveler/explorer stories printed alongside, and their safari-themed 
retail locations.
 The Zieglers recount their adventures in the first ten years in their 
memoir, Wild Company, published in 2012 by Simon and Schuster.
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.
Category:Mall stores
Category:Retailers
Category:Clothing stores
Category:Mall clothing stores
Category:1978
Category:Companies
Category:Franchises
Category:North America
Category:USA
Category:Canada
Category:Brands