Donald Fisher:DONALD FISHER, who has died aged 81, founded the clothing retailer Gap whose smart casual style became recognisable around the world.
Starting with a single store in San Francisco, Fisher and his wife, Doris, built the Gap into a global brand whose jeans, khakis and T- shirts became a uniform for a generation.
A former real estate developer, Fisher switched to retailing at the age of 41 after he tried to return a pair of ill-fitting jeans at a local department store. Finding the store messy and its selection of sizes and styles limited, Fisher decided he could do better.
With $63,000 in capital, the Fishers came up with a concept for a store that would feature a broad selection of jeans, neatly arranged by size in wall cubicles.
The Fishers opened their first store on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco in August 1969. The name The Gap was suggested by Doris Fisher as a reference to the “generation gap” that was widening in America during the late 1960s.
The company expanded throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and its “Fall into the Gap” became one of the more enduring American advertising slogans.
Over the years it added offshoot brands such as BabyGap and GapKids, as well as the Banana Republic and Old Navy chains.
By the time Fisher stepped down as chief executive officer in 1995, Gap was a fashion trendsetter and retailing powerhouse.
However the company has struggled in the new millennium as competitors multiplied and it struggled to cope with rapid expansion and changing tastes. Fisher retired as chairman in 2004 and the company’s sales peaked that year at $16.27 billion.
The company now operates approximately 3,100 stores, including locations in Canada, Britain, France and Japan. Sales last year were $14.53 billion.
Fisher remained a member of the Gap board and held the title of chairman emeritus until his death.
Born in 1928 in San Francisco, Fisher received a bachelor’s degree in 1950 from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a star swimmer and water polo player.
Fisher was a noted art collector and philanthropist. He was active in the United Way and, along with his wife, founded the KIPP Foundation, a network of free, open-enrolment college-prep schools.
Over the years, the Fishers provided $100 million to the foundation and to Teach for America, the company said.
He also served on the board of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, which will house Fisher’s world-class collection of contemporary art.
Fisher is survived by Doris, their three sons and 10 grandchildren. He is also survived by two brothers, Jim and Bob Fisher.
Donald Fisher: born September 3rd, 1928; died September 27th, 2009.