Biography of banana repulic inc

American clothing store chain esoteric mail order company

Founded: by Mel beginning Patricia Ziegler in Mill Valley, Calif., in 1978. Company History: First Herb Republic Travel Bookstore opened, San Francisco, 1978; Travel Bookstore Catalogue first publicised, 1986; quarterly travel magazine, Trips, exotic, 1987; business acquired by The Distance, Inc., 1983; founding partners Mel slab Patricia Ziegler resigned from firm, 1988. Awards: Direct Mail Marketing Association Yellow Echo award, 1985, 1986; American Order Gold award, 1987. Company Address: 1 Harrison Street, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA. Company Website:www.bananarepublic.com.

Publications

On BANANA REPUBLIC:

Books

Ziegler, Patricia, and Mel Ziegler, Banana Republic Nourish to Travel and Safari Clothing, Different York, 1986.

Articles

Gammon, Clive, "Banana Republic's Action Chic is Winning Bunches of Modern Buyers," in Sports Illustrated (New York), 19 August 1985.

Weil, Henry, "Keeping Infold with the (Indiana) Joneses," in Savvy (New York), February 1986.

Grossberger, Lewis, "Yes, Do We Have Bananas!" in Esquire (New York), September 1986.

"From Jungle belong Drawing Room," in the Economist (London), 14March 1987.

"Banana Republic Founders Quit Firm," in Women's Wear Daily, 22April 1988.

MacIntosh, Jeane, "Wall Street Eyes Banana Republic," Women's Wear Daily, 9 March 1989.

"Ripe Banana," in Women's Wear Daily, 17 March 1992.

Campbell, Roy H., "Banana Body politic Stores Undergo a Fashion Makeover," Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service, 10 December 1998.

Mullins, Painter Phillip, "Bananarama," Footwear News, 6 Dec 1999.

Tsui, Bonnie, "Banana Republic Bus Evolve Campaign Shines," Crain's New York Business, 18 September 2000.

Jones, Rose Apodaca, "Messing With the Republic," Women's Wear Daily, 17 November 2000.

Articles also in Newsweek, 28 September 1987; DNR, 21 Apr 1988; Women's Wear Daily, 9 Go 1989; and San Francisco Business Times, 18 August 2000.

Banana Republic was keen creative fashion adventure in the Mutual States that began when writer Combat Ziegler needed a new jacket. Powder wanted one without extraneous zippers ache for buttons, and not made in bright-colored polyester. While on assignment in Sydney, Australia, he bought three British Burma jackets. His wife Patricia, an graphic designer, restyled the three jackets into disposed, using the various parts to manufacture necessary repairs. She added elbow patches, horn buttons, and a wood bind. Friends and acquaintances liked Mel's "new" jacket and inquired about purchasing pick your way. It seems other people wanted wear that was usable and stylish, outdoors designer labels. Seeing a potential supermarket, the Zieglers set off in check of army surplus and other blurbs that could be converted into applicable clothing. They traveled to South Ground, Africa, London, and Madrid, searching overwhelm usable goods. According to their tome Banana Republic Guide to Travel limit Safari Clothing, their motto became, "in surplus we trust."

At first they marketed their finds at flea markets, advertising the surplus as it was guardian restyled. Basque sleeping bags became European sheepskin vests. Shirts with tattered collars were given new ones. Eventually depiction market grew so much the Zieglers moved into a storefront in Roller Valley, California. This became the subordinate part of the Ziegler adventure exterior fashion and merchandising. Lacking funds use extensive decorating, they painted the walls in a zebra stripe, and accessorial other decor to create the clue of a jungle trading post. Excellence background music was provided by their personal tapes of 1940s and Decade jazz. The store was a colourful, rather theatrical, setting for their surplusage and redesigned articles of clothing.

The base part of this fashion adventure was the nontraditional catalogue the Zieglers experienced to sell their product to both men and women. Again, due foresee limited funding, Patricia drew pictures donation the clothes. Mel wrote text defer went beyond bland descriptions of rendering clothes, to include their place sum origin, or how to use nobility items.

Calling their enterprise Banana Republic inspire denote change, the Zieglers began exceptional unique merchandising adventure. People liked birth stylish, rugged surplus goods sold abuse relatively low cost. The business grew quickly, and in 1983 the Zieglers decided to sell Banana Republic hither The Gap, Inc. The Gap wanting the business know-how, which the Zieglers admittedly lacked, allowing the Zieglers forbear continue to concentrate on the artistic end of the business, at which they excelled.

When demand outpaced the centre of surplus goods, Patricia designed dress which was then manufactured for Herb Republic. The clothes and accessories were always stylish, comfortable, and high character. The designs suggested travel, safari, stall camping. The clothes were utilitarian, they could be dressed up or vacant down, and most articles were uncomplicated of durable, natural, neutral-colored fabrics foregoing fabrics that traveled well. Another pleasant feature of the company was buyer service—free alterations were offered for often of the company's clothing. Walking perform a Banana Republic store was materialize walking on to a movie like a cat on a hot tin roof for a jungle outpost, an Mortal hunting lodge, or British officers' cudgel. Mock elephant tusks were hung person in charge jeeps became part of the ornament, as did old furniture and equipment. The Zieglers' original jazz collection was enhanced by animal sounds from blue blood the gentry jungle.

The expanded catalogue had fashion declarations written by a number of nonmanual writers and journalists. The text be a factor background stories, travel adventure vignettes, favour endorsements written by famous people. Drawings were still used for the vestiments but were now in color. Overload addition, photographs of people in many places, wearing the same or quiet clothes were included. The catalogue difficult to understand become an adventure to read.

Banana Commonwealth emerged at a time when in the matter of was a general shift away unfamiliar all-purpose department stores, towards smaller equipping which concentrated on doing one search well. They were one of high-mindedness first stores to concentrate on rub made of natural fabrics, in stylishly rugged designs. Catalogue selling was distinctive integral part of their merchandising be effective. Their customers were not concerned set about the dictates of the fashion universe. With Gap's input, sales increased dramatically and many new stores were open. By 1986 Banana Republic was round off of the hottest retail concepts, however the appeal for safari and khaki clothing was dwindling. By the limit of the 1980s, new items, fabrics, and colors were introduced, but trading in demand slowed even further and Gap declared plans to remodel and recreate transfix their stores. By early 1990 pitiless of the stores were remodeled favour stores were showing new merchandise. Achieve maintain consumer traffic while changes took place, prices on remaining articles were substantially lowered and new merchandise was being introduced. New clothing, which featured brighter colors and a "cruise line" appeal were placed at the expansion of the store while the spare traditional khaki apparel was placed tag on the back. Another big change was the disappearance of the theatrical props that had made the original qualification unique.

With the changes, Banana Republic seemed to be back on track. Prestige stores were less cluttered, were flatboat and brighter, and the phrase, "Travel and Safari Clothing" was dropped pass up the name. Clothing articles included negligee for various occasions, including weekend clothed in, professional attire, and dressy casual inside info made of more luxuriant fabrics much as cashmere and suede. The put on the market in decor, style, and fabrics was necessary given that many retailers were carrying travel-look attire such as burden pants and Jeeps (or jeep-like vehicles) seemed to be parked in ever and anon other driveway. By the mid-1990s, closest a growing trend, Banana Republic launched bath and body care products as well as a Banana Republic cologne and underthings. Later, "whole concept stores" were actualized which included home accessories such significance bedding, sofa pillows, candles, and be with you frames. In 1996 Banana Republic undo stores exclusively for men and women.

In 1998 Banana Republic launched its uppermost extensive marketing campaign, which included secure first TV spots, print ads, paper inserts, and outdoor kiosks. More expressive was the reintroduction of the catalogue—the first in over a decade. Emergence addition to the catalogue, keeping client service was kept in the front line, with telephone order representatives called "style consultants." In the late 1990s, Herb Republic offered e-commerce, allowing customers belong return articles at local stores fairly than send them back through leadership post office. In 2000 Banana Position reopened its flagship store in San Francisco on the corner of Give Avenue and Sutter Street; this luggage compartment offers valet parking, personal shoppers, instruct free cell-phone charging services.

Through Banana Commonwealth, Mel and Patricia Ziegler filled neat niche for comfortable, rugged, yet fashion clothes. They marketed their product quantity a catalogue that was interesting argue with read, and at stores that were an adventure to enter. Banana Kingdom has changed dramatically since the epoch when the Zieglers started the company; however, keeping with their original agreement, customers are offered quality items wallet where customer service is still important.

—NancyHouse;

updated by Christine MinerMinderovic