Banana Republic is an upscale clothing and accessories retailer owned by The Gap. It was founded in 1978 by Mel and Patricia Ziegler, who originally called the company "Banana Republic Travel & Safari Clothing Company". In 1983, Gap purchased the company, changed the name to "Banana Republic," and rebranded the stores to achieve a more upscale image. In the 2020s, VP of design Nicole Wiesmann has re-envisioned the brand with ad editorial campaigns that evoke luxury brands like Loro Piana with higher-end garments that have been compared favorably with Ralph Lauren, The Row, and Burberry.
The name is a political science term for a country whose resources (and often sovereignty) have been taken over by powerful foreign interests. Examples include the United Fruit Company's involvement in the 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état and Dole's involvement in the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893.