Banana Republic is the successor of a subsidiary of Gap Inc. which was founded in 1978 by the husband-and-wife team Mel and Patricia Ziegler, who specialised primarily in the clothing industry, footwear, and items for the home and hygienic use.
The name Banana Republic was first used in 1983. By 1996, this extensive company had almost 200 branches throughout the United States. Over time, they also created perfume products with the Banana Republic name. Almost all their products had luxury packaging that underlined the uniqueness of the scents themselves.