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.[1][2] Nicole Wiesmann, the current VP of design, has re-envisioned the brand with ad editorial campaigns that evoke much higher-end luxury brands like Loro Piana with garments that have been compared favorably with Ralph Lauren, The Row, and Burberry.[3][4][5]
The name is based on the term banana republic, which describes a country whose resources (and often sovereignty) have been taken by foreign interests, usually by force. Examples include the United Fruit Company's involvement in the 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état and Dole Food Company's involvement in the Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893.