Banana Republic

Banana Republic is an American clothing and accessories retailer owned by the American multinational corporation Gap Inc. It was founded in 1978 by Mel and Patricia Ziegler, who originally called the company "Banana Republic Travel & Safari Clothing Company." The original concept for the company was to sell items that fit a safari theme. In 1983, Gap purchased the company, changed the name to "Banana Republic," and rebranded the stores to achieve a more upscale image 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 21 countries through company owned websites.