Talking about the human influence in the fashion world it does not complete without mentioning the name of Doris F. Fisher. Together with her late husband, Donald, this couple founded Gap, Inc.. more than four decades ago.
Clothing and accessories retailer United States (U.S.) based in San Francisco, California, was founded by husband and wife Fisher in 1969. The company has five major brands namely Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta.
In September 2008, Gap, Inc.. has about 135,000 employees and operates 3076 stores worldwide. As many as 2551 of them are located in the U.S.. Gap, Inc.. remains the largest apparel specialty retailer in the land of Uncle Sam, even though recently surpassed by the Inditex Group based in Spain as the world's largest apparel retailer.
In 1969, Donald and Doris began selling jeans and a recording on a small store located on Ocean Avenue, San Francisco. They gave the name of the store Gap, based on the growth of intergenerational gap. It is attractive to young customers, who come in droves to the store to buy basic clothing such as white cotton shirts.
The gap soon became so popular, so in 1970 husband and wife Fisher opened another store in San Jose. They continue to add several more stores in the chain business. In 1974, the couple began selling merchandise with their own brand. When that's Gap Jeans was born.
Gap Inc. then bought Banana Republic, a safari-themed retailer, and launched Old Navy in 1994. With a variety of clothing stores that offer simple varied and different price range, Gap Inc. have significant control over the U.S. apparel market.
''I created Gap with a simple idea: to make it easier to find a pair of jeans. We remain committed to the basic principle that,''said Donald once quoted as saying zimbio.com site.
Hard times
However, several decades running quite difficult for the company that founded Fisher's husband and wife. In 2003, factory workers in Saipan deliver a class-action lawsuit against the corporation, stating that unsafe working conditions, unpaid overtime, and forced abortion policies. Gap solve that problem, but never admitted liability.
In 2007, the BBC showed footage of children working in Gap factories in India. Gap argue that concerns about child labor. Corporate profits had shrunk in recent years.
Like it or not, Fisher's husband and wife have dominated fashion in the United States since 1969. With about two thousand Gap stores in the U.S. alone, they have a uniform fashion clothing Americans by offering a standard in shopping malls starting from Anchorage to Miami Beach. Donald and Doris raised khaki revolution and to introduce young people to Carrie Donovan, who appeared in the early campaigns of Old Navy.
In 2009, Donald died at his home that he was suffering from cancer. At that time, he turn 81 years. While Doris is now 79 years old, currently listed as one of the world's billionaires by Forbes magazine. Until March 2011, his wealth estimated at U.S. $ 2.3 billion.
Since 2004, control of Gap Inc. were transferable to their third son, John, Robert and William.
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