Banana Republic Launches Baby, Athletics Categories
Retail Wire | February 28, 2022
Banana Republic, which was once known for its dressy workwear options, is adapting to a world where the office — and apparel — is changing. Banana Republic announced in September that it was revamping its brand identity to focus on "democratic, approachable and inclusive luxury," by creating new product stories for its physical stores and digital channels, and refreshing its product design and fabrics.
"Call it post-genre fashion. Or call it post-fashion altogether: The New Look is less about fashion and more about living," Chief Brand Officer Ana Andjelic said in a statement at the time of the brand reboot. "To get there, we mixed the mythical American look, San Francisco imagination, and the late 1990s. Keywords are utilitarian chic and modern casualwear. Safari meets tuxedo, formalwear meets casualwear, menswear meets womenswear, vintage meets tailoring, functionality meets imagination."
"BR Baby and BR Athletics mix the mainstream with the unexpected and deliver elevated, thoroughly modern, lifestyle collections," Sandra Stangl, president and CEO of Banana Republic, said in a statement. "We approached both by deconstructing what made Banana Republic successful in the first place — taking things that people already know, have nostalgia for, and framing them in new ways that feel fresh."
At the start of the year, Morgan Stanely downgraded Gap Inc., with analysts warning that its Q3 performance and recent guidance cut reflects "mis-execution" and "communication shortfalls" with the retailer.
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