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Wild Company: The Untold Story of Banana Republic
In the tradition of Pour Your Heart Into It and How Starbucks Saved My Life , a surprising and inspiring memoir from the founders of Banana Republic.
With $1,500 and no business experience, Mel and Patricia Ziegler turned a wild idea into a company that would become the international retail colossus Banana Republic. Re-imagining military surplus as safari and expedition wear, the former journalist and artist created a world that captured the zeitgeist for a generation and spoke to the creativity, adventure, and independence in everyone.
In a book that’s honest, funny, and charming, Mel and Patricia tell in alternating voices how they upended business conventions and survived on their wits and imagination. Many retail and fashion merchants still consider Banana Republic’s early heyday to be one of the most remarkable stories in fashion and business history. The couple detail how, as “professional amateurs,” they developed the wildly original merchandise and marketing innovations that broke all retail records and produced what has been acclaimed by industry professionals to be “the best catalogue of all time.”
A love story wrapped in a business adventure, Wild Company is a soulful, inspiring tale for readers determined to create their own destiny with a passion for life and work and fun.
With $1,500 and no business experience, Mel and Patricia Ziegler turned a wild idea into a company that would become the international retail colossus Banana Republic. Re-imagining military surplus as safari and expedition wear, the former journalist and artist created a world that captured the zeitgeist for a generation and spoke to the creativity, adventure, and independence in everyone.
In a book that’s honest, funny, and charming, Mel and Patricia tell in alternating voices how they upended business conventions and survived on their wits and imagination. Many retail and fashion merchants still consider Banana Republic’s early heyday to be one of the most remarkable stories in fashion and business history. The couple detail how, as “professional amateurs,” they developed the wildly original merchandise and marketing innovations that broke all retail records and produced what has been acclaimed by industry professionals to be “the best catalogue of all time.”
A love story wrapped in a business adventure, Wild Company is a soulful, inspiring tale for readers determined to create their own destiny with a passion for life and work and fun.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published October 2, 2012
32 people are currently reading
1168 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
April 1, 2016
I was surprised at how interesting I found this memoir. The book reads like fiction. I could hardly put it down, of course, it helped that the area and people in the story were familiar to me.
This is the memoir of the store founders Mel and Patricia Ziegler. Mel was journalist at the Hearst owned San Francisco Chronicle and Patricia was an artist/illustrator also working for the Chronicle. Patricia had just finished covering the Patty Hearst trial as the court illustrator when they both decided to quit their jobs and try something else. They ended up deciding to create a store to sell military surplus clothing. They had no retail or business expertise. They tell of their success and the failures in building their business. Mel was the strategist and business manager and Patricia had a talent for styling merchandise, decorating the stores and creating the Banana Republic aesthetics. Mel also wrote the whimsical copy for their catalog and Patricia did the illustrations. They eventually sold out to the Gap stores but stayed on to manage the company. They eventually clashed with the heads of The Gap management and quit just as Patricia had given birth to their first child.
The memoir is well written and almost reads like a fiction story. There were two narrators George Newbern and Elizabeth Rodgers as the memoir was divided between Mel and Patricia’s viewpoints. The reader can learn some of the do’s and don’ts for starting a business as Mel and Patricia learned from the school of hard knocks. They did have great and usual talent and worked well together to create a unique company. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The narrators did a good job.
This is the memoir of the store founders Mel and Patricia Ziegler. Mel was journalist at the Hearst owned San Francisco Chronicle and Patricia was an artist/illustrator also working for the Chronicle. Patricia had just finished covering the Patty Hearst trial as the court illustrator when they both decided to quit their jobs and try something else. They ended up deciding to create a store to sell military surplus clothing. They had no retail or business expertise. They tell of their success and the failures in building their business. Mel was the strategist and business manager and Patricia had a talent for styling merchandise, decorating the stores and creating the Banana Republic aesthetics. Mel also wrote the whimsical copy for their catalog and Patricia did the illustrations. They eventually sold out to the Gap stores but stayed on to manage the company. They eventually clashed with the heads of The Gap management and quit just as Patricia had given birth to their first child.
The memoir is well written and almost reads like a fiction story. There were two narrators George Newbern and Elizabeth Rodgers as the memoir was divided between Mel and Patricia’s viewpoints. The reader can learn some of the do’s and don’ts for starting a business as Mel and Patricia learned from the school of hard knocks. They did have great and usual talent and worked well together to create a unique company. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The narrators did a good job.
January 19, 2024
Banana Republic was founded in 1978 by the authors of this book, Mel and Patricia Ziegler. In this book, they discuss the founding of the company and how they spread their brand. Today, Banana Republic is owned by The Gap, and is meant to be luxury clothes, only affordable. The only Banana Republic I have ever seen in real life was in Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge at the Outlet Mall.
This book was absolutely boring to me. I did not like the way it flip flopped back and forth between his point of view and hers. I thought it would be a really interesting book, because I typically enjoy this type of content, but I just did not. If you are interested in this book, it is currently available on Audible Plus.
This book was absolutely boring to me. I did not like the way it flip flopped back and forth between his point of view and hers. I thought it would be a really interesting book, because I typically enjoy this type of content, but I just did not. If you are interested in this book, it is currently available on Audible Plus.
February 5, 2017
"One thing I repeat to anyone who would listen was my belief that creativity is not the unique province of so-called creative people. Creativity is always here, you just have to use it." (Pg. 136)
As the title suggests, this book is about the birth of Banana Republic. A couple madly in love needed money to travel the world, and in that quest chanced upon military surplus that it tweaked and created a brand upon this surplus. One military surplus auction led to another, till they realised they had exhausted all such possible avenues and needed to created their own merchandise. This book is a very honest portrayal of their struggles as well as their timely stroke of luck that kept them going (was it luck though?).
As Patricia and Mel co-created the brand, in a similar fashion they co-authored this book with each perspective highlighted in a different font and sections cutely partitioned with a typewriter (indicating Mel's perspective) and art brushes with a color palette (for Patricia's). It's evident that they were purely looking to have fun with everything they undertook, even this book. It's heartening to see their love and how they infused everything they created with a similar passion. Most importantly, it's heartening to see professional amateurs getting it right. Makes me a little less afraid of experimenting in my own life.
I highly recommend it to anyone looking for some creative inspiration.
As the title suggests, this book is about the birth of Banana Republic. A couple madly in love needed money to travel the world, and in that quest chanced upon military surplus that it tweaked and created a brand upon this surplus. One military surplus auction led to another, till they realised they had exhausted all such possible avenues and needed to created their own merchandise. This book is a very honest portrayal of their struggles as well as their timely stroke of luck that kept them going (was it luck though?).
As Patricia and Mel co-created the brand, in a similar fashion they co-authored this book with each perspective highlighted in a different font and sections cutely partitioned with a typewriter (indicating Mel's perspective) and art brushes with a color palette (for Patricia's). It's evident that they were purely looking to have fun with everything they undertook, even this book. It's heartening to see their love and how they infused everything they created with a similar passion. Most importantly, it's heartening to see professional amateurs getting it right. Makes me a little less afraid of experimenting in my own life.
I highly recommend it to anyone looking for some creative inspiration.
February 18, 2019
Inspiring!
May 20, 2024
Love a great founder story! Writing is also superb 🤌
November 11, 2017
When you think of Banana Republic, what comes to mind? Casual business wear, cardigans, chinos-a very relaxed chic for the contemporary professional. But that is not what they always sold, or even strived to be when the company was first created. Banana Republic was originally a safari surplus store.
If BR still sold safari themed clothing, my God would I be broke. And I doubt I would be the only one. Unfortunately, they do not because Mel and Patricia Ziegler sold their unique company to Gap, Inc., and Mickey Drexler, the former CEO, turned them into the store we know today. How did that happen? Why would Mel and Pat let that happen? The answers are never simple, and this book showcases a wonderfully written narrative from both their viewpoints to tell the story of Banana Republic.
In an era of polyester and leisure suits, all Patricia and Mel wanted was cotton, breathable clothes. No department store sold it, so she would shop at flea markets and second hand stores. One day, they were given a lead that military surplus auctions might be a great place to find clothes. With their entire savings of $1500, they decided to quit their jobs as a journalist and artist and go into the retail business. They had no experience, no prior knowledge of what a business entails. All they had was their intuition, their wit, and their tenacity. The best part about it all-it worked.
By purchasing from competing surplus auctions, they managed to get lines of credit. By opening on a side street instead of the main thoroughfare, they saved on rent. Instead of hiring a team of decorators, Patricia and her Mom did the whole store themselves. Banana Republic opened on Black Friday in 1978, and they sold one item. It was then they realized that in the rush to get the store and merchandise together, they forgot one very important detail of a typical business, a cash register. They had to make change from their wallets.
Five years into their business, they needed some help. They were both bogged down by the minutiae of the business, and their inexperience was becoming a hindrance. A friend suggested they talk to Don Fisher, owner of Gap. Mel and Pat met with him, and in 1983, BR became part of the Gap family. It was a phenomenal deal, of which Mel and Pat would stay on as creative directors and have the freedom to retain their stores' identity. Don's business expertise allowed them to expand nationally, start producing their own clothing instead of relying merely on surplus, and they even had a movie studio division because BR outfitted Top Gun, the Romancing Stone, and other adventure movies during the 80s. Things were going fantastic.
1988 was when things took a turn for the worse. With the increased influence of Mickey Drexler, both of the Zieglers resigned, and BR became what is it today-just another department store. If you look at it from the Ziegler's perspective, it's a tragic demise. BR lost its identity, its purpose, and became just another leaf in the Gap, Inc. portfolio. But the company is still very successful. They rebuilt their customer base. They have teamed up with Project Runway and Mad Men. The company on one hand is less than its former self, and on the other more than its former self.
Even if you are not interested in Gap, Inc. or Banana Republic, Wild Company is still a fun read. It's not just another business story or autobiography. While it does heavily revolve around Banana Republic, it shows the reader how something can come from nothing and be wildly successful. Wild Company is at its core a story of the American Dream in the 20th century. Additionally, Mel and Pat's take on their company history isn't filled with regret or hatred. This isn't a novel to bash Gap, Inc., rather to show people that if you have a dream it can be accomplished despite any circumstances. I will admit that if I hadn't started working for Gap, Inc. this book might never have come on my radar, but I am happy it did.
If BR still sold safari themed clothing, my God would I be broke. And I doubt I would be the only one. Unfortunately, they do not because Mel and Patricia Ziegler sold their unique company to Gap, Inc., and Mickey Drexler, the former CEO, turned them into the store we know today. How did that happen? Why would Mel and Pat let that happen? The answers are never simple, and this book showcases a wonderfully written narrative from both their viewpoints to tell the story of Banana Republic.
In an era of polyester and leisure suits, all Patricia and Mel wanted was cotton, breathable clothes. No department store sold it, so she would shop at flea markets and second hand stores. One day, they were given a lead that military surplus auctions might be a great place to find clothes. With their entire savings of $1500, they decided to quit their jobs as a journalist and artist and go into the retail business. They had no experience, no prior knowledge of what a business entails. All they had was their intuition, their wit, and their tenacity. The best part about it all-it worked.
By purchasing from competing surplus auctions, they managed to get lines of credit. By opening on a side street instead of the main thoroughfare, they saved on rent. Instead of hiring a team of decorators, Patricia and her Mom did the whole store themselves. Banana Republic opened on Black Friday in 1978, and they sold one item. It was then they realized that in the rush to get the store and merchandise together, they forgot one very important detail of a typical business, a cash register. They had to make change from their wallets.
Five years into their business, they needed some help. They were both bogged down by the minutiae of the business, and their inexperience was becoming a hindrance. A friend suggested they talk to Don Fisher, owner of Gap. Mel and Pat met with him, and in 1983, BR became part of the Gap family. It was a phenomenal deal, of which Mel and Pat would stay on as creative directors and have the freedom to retain their stores' identity. Don's business expertise allowed them to expand nationally, start producing their own clothing instead of relying merely on surplus, and they even had a movie studio division because BR outfitted Top Gun, the Romancing Stone, and other adventure movies during the 80s. Things were going fantastic.
1988 was when things took a turn for the worse. With the increased influence of Mickey Drexler, both of the Zieglers resigned, and BR became what is it today-just another department store. If you look at it from the Ziegler's perspective, it's a tragic demise. BR lost its identity, its purpose, and became just another leaf in the Gap, Inc. portfolio. But the company is still very successful. They rebuilt their customer base. They have teamed up with Project Runway and Mad Men. The company on one hand is less than its former self, and on the other more than its former self.
Even if you are not interested in Gap, Inc. or Banana Republic, Wild Company is still a fun read. It's not just another business story or autobiography. While it does heavily revolve around Banana Republic, it shows the reader how something can come from nothing and be wildly successful. Wild Company is at its core a story of the American Dream in the 20th century. Additionally, Mel and Pat's take on their company history isn't filled with regret or hatred. This isn't a novel to bash Gap, Inc., rather to show people that if you have a dream it can be accomplished despite any circumstances. I will admit that if I hadn't started working for Gap, Inc. this book might never have come on my radar, but I am happy it did.
July 3, 2021
Banana Republic, the travel and safari clothing store of the nineteen eighties, made a big impact on me during that time. The store’s printed catalog was on unglossed card-stock and ocher paper with their clothing wares compellingly drawn and described with engaging text. Here were artistic images evoking Tarzan, Jungle Jim, King Solomon’s Mines, Casablanca, Hemingway, and even Indiana Jones. The rugged explorer heroes from the movies and books of my youth provided the inspiration a clothing company captured in its product line and passed on to its customers, including me.
Then Banana Republic disappeared. Or at least, I lost track of them in the late eighties. At some point, I missed having a source for khaki clothes suitable for safari or a trip to the zoo. By this time, the Internet had arrived and I searched online to see if the company was still around with a web presence. What I found was the Gap store website offering a Banana Republic line that was no different from their other clothes. Apparently, my favorite outfitters had been corporatized.
And I left it at that until I ran across a book by the Banana Republic founders that purported to tell their company’s story. So I bought the paperback, looking to find that old inspiration.
WHAT WAS BANANA REPUBLIC
Wild Company tells the story of how Banana Republic came to be created and run by Mel and Patricia Ziegler. It is a story of energies coming together at the right place, the right time, and with the right people. The Zieglers were artists (Mel a writer and Patricia an illustrator) who wanted to escape the corporate rat race and live free supported by a business. This is a common dream, but it fails for countless dreamers. That the Zieglers were successful at it, is I believe, because they followed their passions and built something more than a clothing store.
Their foray into this business began with Mel’s purchase of a bush jacket (British Burma jacket) while on journalist assignment in Australia. Something clicked, inspired by the jacket and sparking the idea of rehabilitating and reselling military surplus clothing.
Mel’s new jacket said with panache close to everything that I and the friends I admired valued in life: character, adventure, heritage, and independence…
Their sales vehicle would be a catalogue containing Patricia’s illustrations of each clothing piece with entertaining descriptions provided by Mel. They also rented a storefront in Mill Valley, California.
Sales were very slow for about a year until enough word got around about their quirky store to prompt an article in a local magazine. Then the floodgates opened with customers coming in the store and buying. Eventually, the Zieglers opened another store and expanded their line with other surplus suppliers. Their classic safari taste in clothes was shared by enough of the public to make them successful. With Mel and Patricia doing everything, though, they were working constantly and to exhaustion.
Then the Gap clothing company became interested in them. With the prospect of corporate funding and a promise of creative freedom, Mel and Patricia sold Banana Republic to Gap. They were then employees of Gap but were able to open more stores and create their own line of clothing based on classic designs. As long as they were profitable, Gap left the Zieglers alone to run the stores as they wished, and their business grew. They literally roamed the world searching for more surplus clothes and, where possible, engaging local manufacturers to produce vintage items.
Banana Republic grew into a nineteen eighties phenomenon with Gap money, but it could not long withstand the corporate parasite. Eventually, Gap got greedy and pushed out the Zieglers, turning Banana Republic into just another chic clothing store.
MORE TO THE STORY THAN RETAIL CLOTHING
There was, however, far more to the story of Banana Republic than the creating and running of a retail clothing business. That is just the surface narrative. The deeper truth is that the Banana Republic catalog provided a portal to a bazaar where people could buy the costuming (as practical clothing) that supported their dreams.
With a Banana Republic purchase, you could step outside your wage-slave existence and outfit yourself for adventure. Where else could you readily find khaki shirts with breast pockets and epaulets, khaki cargo pants, safari hats, boonie hats, photographer vests covered with pockets, and authentic leather flight jackets? Touching people’s desire to realize their potential for being heroes (or at least dressing like heroes), made Banana Republic unique as well as successful. Movie stars bought from them. Movie companies bought from them. For most of its existence under the Zieglers, Banana Republic had the highest sales-per-store-footage of any retail clothing store in the US.
The Zieglers were not business majors or entrepreneurs. They were artists and they remained artists for as long as they ran Banana Republic. They knew nothing of retail clothing when they started. They “winged it,” and just used what they had in money and material. Over time, they learned the trade but never committed wholly to it. Also, they focused on their vision rather than profits. Consequently, they created a company where people wanted to work, where people wanted to shop, and profits came as a consequence.
ENGAGING WRITING BY TWO CREATIVE PEOPLE
Wild Company is an engaging, inspiring, and fun read. Rather than a dry accounting of retail clothing in the nineteen eighties, it is the story of two motivated artists following their vision to deliberately create the life they wanted. As Mel says:
We also hope our story will suggest to restless creative people everywhere that creation begins with creating the life you would like to live, without fear or inhibition.
The book’s narrative switches between Mel and Patricia. Both are capable writers and pretty much tell their story with one voice. Patricia’s illustrations, pulled from Banana Republic catalogues, fill the book. There are also reproductions of catalogue covers. With the clothing drawings, these provide a glimpse into the catalogue’s mystique. They whisper of Hemingway in Africa, or a dock full of East India Company goods.
The illustrations include black-and-white pictures of the Zieglers and their stores over the life of Banana Republic. Slightly grainy on cream-colored pages, they nicely add to the book’s vintage feel.
INSPIRATION FROM A PARTICULAR TIME
For me, nineteen eighties nostalgia is incomplete without remembering Banana Republic as it existed then. I miss that store. I miss the clothes that dressed citizens of the wider world in classic images not ruled by “fashion.” Today, when I shop for clothes, a selling point for any shirt, pants, or jacket is whether it might have been sold by Banana Republic.
Wild Company is a reminiscence of a particular, special store in a particular time and place. I don’t think its creation and success could happen in today’s hyper-capitalist, corporate-driven world. Back then, I could flip through a Banana Republic catalogue and feel the wind in the veld, sweat buckets in the Indian heat, smell spices in a Moroccan market, and pick out clothes to dress for it all.
Then Banana Republic disappeared. Or at least, I lost track of them in the late eighties. At some point, I missed having a source for khaki clothes suitable for safari or a trip to the zoo. By this time, the Internet had arrived and I searched online to see if the company was still around with a web presence. What I found was the Gap store website offering a Banana Republic line that was no different from their other clothes. Apparently, my favorite outfitters had been corporatized.
And I left it at that until I ran across a book by the Banana Republic founders that purported to tell their company’s story. So I bought the paperback, looking to find that old inspiration.
WHAT WAS BANANA REPUBLIC
Wild Company tells the story of how Banana Republic came to be created and run by Mel and Patricia Ziegler. It is a story of energies coming together at the right place, the right time, and with the right people. The Zieglers were artists (Mel a writer and Patricia an illustrator) who wanted to escape the corporate rat race and live free supported by a business. This is a common dream, but it fails for countless dreamers. That the Zieglers were successful at it, is I believe, because they followed their passions and built something more than a clothing store.
Their foray into this business began with Mel’s purchase of a bush jacket (British Burma jacket) while on journalist assignment in Australia. Something clicked, inspired by the jacket and sparking the idea of rehabilitating and reselling military surplus clothing.
Mel’s new jacket said with panache close to everything that I and the friends I admired valued in life: character, adventure, heritage, and independence…
Their sales vehicle would be a catalogue containing Patricia’s illustrations of each clothing piece with entertaining descriptions provided by Mel. They also rented a storefront in Mill Valley, California.
Sales were very slow for about a year until enough word got around about their quirky store to prompt an article in a local magazine. Then the floodgates opened with customers coming in the store and buying. Eventually, the Zieglers opened another store and expanded their line with other surplus suppliers. Their classic safari taste in clothes was shared by enough of the public to make them successful. With Mel and Patricia doing everything, though, they were working constantly and to exhaustion.
Then the Gap clothing company became interested in them. With the prospect of corporate funding and a promise of creative freedom, Mel and Patricia sold Banana Republic to Gap. They were then employees of Gap but were able to open more stores and create their own line of clothing based on classic designs. As long as they were profitable, Gap left the Zieglers alone to run the stores as they wished, and their business grew. They literally roamed the world searching for more surplus clothes and, where possible, engaging local manufacturers to produce vintage items.
Banana Republic grew into a nineteen eighties phenomenon with Gap money, but it could not long withstand the corporate parasite. Eventually, Gap got greedy and pushed out the Zieglers, turning Banana Republic into just another chic clothing store.
MORE TO THE STORY THAN RETAIL CLOTHING
There was, however, far more to the story of Banana Republic than the creating and running of a retail clothing business. That is just the surface narrative. The deeper truth is that the Banana Republic catalog provided a portal to a bazaar where people could buy the costuming (as practical clothing) that supported their dreams.
With a Banana Republic purchase, you could step outside your wage-slave existence and outfit yourself for adventure. Where else could you readily find khaki shirts with breast pockets and epaulets, khaki cargo pants, safari hats, boonie hats, photographer vests covered with pockets, and authentic leather flight jackets? Touching people’s desire to realize their potential for being heroes (or at least dressing like heroes), made Banana Republic unique as well as successful. Movie stars bought from them. Movie companies bought from them. For most of its existence under the Zieglers, Banana Republic had the highest sales-per-store-footage of any retail clothing store in the US.
The Zieglers were not business majors or entrepreneurs. They were artists and they remained artists for as long as they ran Banana Republic. They knew nothing of retail clothing when they started. They “winged it,” and just used what they had in money and material. Over time, they learned the trade but never committed wholly to it. Also, they focused on their vision rather than profits. Consequently, they created a company where people wanted to work, where people wanted to shop, and profits came as a consequence.
ENGAGING WRITING BY TWO CREATIVE PEOPLE
Wild Company is an engaging, inspiring, and fun read. Rather than a dry accounting of retail clothing in the nineteen eighties, it is the story of two motivated artists following their vision to deliberately create the life they wanted. As Mel says:
We also hope our story will suggest to restless creative people everywhere that creation begins with creating the life you would like to live, without fear or inhibition.
The book’s narrative switches between Mel and Patricia. Both are capable writers and pretty much tell their story with one voice. Patricia’s illustrations, pulled from Banana Republic catalogues, fill the book. There are also reproductions of catalogue covers. With the clothing drawings, these provide a glimpse into the catalogue’s mystique. They whisper of Hemingway in Africa, or a dock full of East India Company goods.
The illustrations include black-and-white pictures of the Zieglers and their stores over the life of Banana Republic. Slightly grainy on cream-colored pages, they nicely add to the book’s vintage feel.
INSPIRATION FROM A PARTICULAR TIME
For me, nineteen eighties nostalgia is incomplete without remembering Banana Republic as it existed then. I miss that store. I miss the clothes that dressed citizens of the wider world in classic images not ruled by “fashion.” Today, when I shop for clothes, a selling point for any shirt, pants, or jacket is whether it might have been sold by Banana Republic.
Wild Company is a reminiscence of a particular, special store in a particular time and place. I don’t think its creation and success could happen in today’s hyper-capitalist, corporate-driven world. Back then, I could flip through a Banana Republic catalogue and feel the wind in the veld, sweat buckets in the Indian heat, smell spices in a Moroccan market, and pick out clothes to dress for it all.
November 9, 2012
The book has an amazing start as you're introduced to Banana Republic's founders Mel and Patricia Ziegler and their desire to break free from their schedules and gain freedom. The book is presented in two narratives that are set apart by different typefaces and their own graphic preceding their narrative: Mel's typewrtier and Patricia's paintbrush. This format made it as if I was sitting down listening to them as they took turns telling the story and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I appreciated their telling of their small business that turned into a conglomerate but wished it was more transparent especially in the part when Gap's Don Fisher had bought Banana Republic. While I know numbers aren't everything, I think it would be interesting to at least mention an amount that's over a certain figure to give readers a clearer picture of how they transformed their $1,500 startup to a $x.00 business.
I did feel the conclusion was a bit too fast. They were able to mention their other business ventures (one that failed and one that became successful) and kind of wished they got more into that despite the booking being about Banana Republic. Despite the abrupt ending (their "what I learned" section was a really short chapter), I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who has ever heard of Banana Republic to fully understand the store's origin.
I appreciated their telling of their small business that turned into a conglomerate but wished it was more transparent especially in the part when Gap's Don Fisher had bought Banana Republic. While I know numbers aren't everything, I think it would be interesting to at least mention an amount that's over a certain figure to give readers a clearer picture of how they transformed their $1,500 startup to a $x.00 business.
I did feel the conclusion was a bit too fast. They were able to mention their other business ventures (one that failed and one that became successful) and kind of wished they got more into that despite the booking being about Banana Republic. Despite the abrupt ending (their "what I learned" section was a really short chapter), I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who has ever heard of Banana Republic to fully understand the store's origin.
December 9, 2012
The writing is highly influenced by Mel's background as a journalist, so the novel reads as easily as a news article with the magical quality of adventurous travel. Mel and Patricia play off each other's tales playfully and excitedly like a newlywed couple on their honeymoon, and as the reader I feel like a child listening to a bedtime story. They repeatedly remind us that monetizing your idea is not the goal but the means to the true dream: having the financial freedom to do what you love. It is clearly a story of two creative minds who learn about business through experience, rather than entrepreneurs who pave the way to success. It's an inspiring history of a company that was ahead of the curve in providing customers with a shopping experience that combines product, marketing and story into the ethos... something that has become second nature in our consumer lives in the new millennium. The portrayal of corporate characters is hilarious if not slightly immature, though it gives some entertaining insight into the stagnant mission of The Gap. Another reminder to listen to your intuition to guide decision. I look forward to reading The Republic of Tea.
February 23, 2013
Wow. Amazing how well crafted the voice of Mel Ziegler is in this compelling start-up story of living the American dream. Patricia, Mel's wife and partner's voice is much less powerful and present.
This folks managed to create an empire and eventually get kicked out, only to start again, and then again.
The amazing thing, though, for me, is how unaware they seem to be, still, about how they appropriated the intellectual property of culture's and peoples across the planet without thought of compensation or cultural integrity. It all fed the myth of safari and the myth of the self-made entrepreneurs who make it while breaking all the rules.
I was entranced and infuriated by what my daughter calls their opriviousness, a combination of privilege and obliviousness. And, they see themselves as having "saved" dying factories and artisan trades.....
Wow.
This folks managed to create an empire and eventually get kicked out, only to start again, and then again.
The amazing thing, though, for me, is how unaware they seem to be, still, about how they appropriated the intellectual property of culture's and peoples across the planet without thought of compensation or cultural integrity. It all fed the myth of safari and the myth of the self-made entrepreneurs who make it while breaking all the rules.
I was entranced and infuriated by what my daughter calls their opriviousness, a combination of privilege and obliviousness. And, they see themselves as having "saved" dying factories and artisan trades.....
Wow.
March 16, 2021
I found the story fascinating and inspiring but felt it really lacked depth and details. Looked like a fast forward tale whose main intent was wowing the readers. Maybe I would have given it a 4 if I hand’t read it immediately after Nike book, which was out of this world in terms or business lessons and narrative.
I liked the pics in the book, I think if the authors would had dwelled more on the details and described their journey in depth would have been a much better book. Especially the start of the company seemed little fake: they both quit at the same time without even telling each other and after just reading Napoleon Hill, boom they immediately started a business. I am sure more debates and sleepless nights were involved. Felt more like a magazine article and less like a book.
I liked the pics in the book, I think if the authors would had dwelled more on the details and described their journey in depth would have been a much better book. Especially the start of the company seemed little fake: they both quit at the same time without even telling each other and after just reading Napoleon Hill, boom they immediately started a business. I am sure more debates and sleepless nights were involved. Felt more like a magazine article and less like a book.
August 12, 2014
I am a fan of army surplus and khaki and having been wearing the same since the 1960s. When Banana Republic first made its headway with their catalogue I was right there. I had the opportunity to visit one of their stores (in D.C.).
After its purchase and re-invention by Gap, I couldn't believe it was the same store and even asked the sales assistants (they only new the present situation). A complete travesty to what the Republic was founded on.
I am thankful for Ziegler in writing this book (a quick read) as it gives a blow by blow of this and his wife's struggle to found a company out of almost nothing and to see it grow, like Topsy.
I miss the Banana Republic of days past.
After its purchase and re-invention by Gap, I couldn't believe it was the same store and even asked the sales assistants (they only new the present situation). A complete travesty to what the Republic was founded on.
I am thankful for Ziegler in writing this book (a quick read) as it gives a blow by blow of this and his wife's struggle to found a company out of almost nothing and to see it grow, like Topsy.
I miss the Banana Republic of days past.
April 29, 2021
Maintaining company culture after acquisition is very tricky. Banana republic is an example of a creative company ruined by excessive corporate control from Gap.
November 9, 2012
Wild Company was an interesting book at the beginning and then got a little lost in the weeds as the authors not only went too far into fashion (losing the interest of business/start-up readers), but then also became too critical of the sale of the company of GAP. Could have been two books - one focused on the fashion trend and one simply about the start-up business. It definitely lost me towards the end.
July 19, 2019
If you enjoy to learn, as I do, how world -famous businesses get started, you will surely like reading this brief but delightful recounting of the Banana Republic’s beginning. Suddenly, a store where you might have bought a pair of safari pants or a Panama hat, becomes more than an ordinary chain store in the mall. Instead, within these pages, it takes on a life of its own.
May 6, 2018
This book was in my kindle library because Haley read it for school but I decided to check it out. It was really a fun, quick read. I remember when Banana Republic came to Oak Park mall. All the hype and excitement.
February 11, 2019
Satisfied my curiosity...I wish the original was still around...
December 13, 2021
An entertaining, easy read.
I liked how it went back and forth between the 2 authors perspectives throughout each chapter, noted with a different image & font. It felt like it always came in at the right time to offer the other viewpoint, well done!
Also the chapters were fairly short, so it kept it interesting, with a new subject and illustration at the beginning of each chapter. That combined with the 2 different authors, made it a page turner.
I was a fan of the original Banana Republic, but always wondered what happened to it when they did the rebrand and made it generic like the rest of Gap, at the time wondered if it was the same store.
I was also a fan because I lived in Marin County in the SF Bay Area, so I enjoyed reading about places I was familiar with.
On the disappointing side:
* Image quality: the quality of the images are horrible (in the paperback version I read). It looks like they were printed on a dot matrix printer in the late 1980's. The photographs are almost pointless to print at that low quality. The sketches are OK, but still very low quality. I know it's more expensive, but most books have a section in the middle on nice glossy photo paper they put all the images on, this would have worked great here.
* Catalogue: throughout the book they talk about the amazing catalogue they made, illustrated, year after year. It's all about the catalogue, the catalogue, the catalogue. Yet they don't have any pictures of the catalogue in the entire book! Some of the sketches in the book I'm assuming were in the catalogue, and there are a few covers, but again at so low quality you can't even tell what it is. When I searched online for their catalogues and found them here (https://www.secretfanbase.com/banana/) WOW! Why aren't those in the book nicely illustrated in higher quality?
* Complaining they couldn't do what they wanted after they sold to Gap: this book reads like a few other books I've read of a company that starts out great, then sells out to a big corporation (that's fine), but then the owners spend the latter part of the book complaining about how they can't make all the decisions like they used to. What did they think was going to happen when they sold it? This is similar to Chip Wilson's Lululemon book (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...), and Ken Williams' Sierra book (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...). On the plus side of this, I will say that in this book it wasn't until the very end last short chapter that this came up, throughout most of the book they said how the Gap relationship was fine, unlike the Lululemon and Sierra books where basically the second half of the book is of them complaining that they can't run the company they sold.
Overall, a recommended quick entertaining read. Wish it was better quality with more images/photographs.
I liked how it went back and forth between the 2 authors perspectives throughout each chapter, noted with a different image & font. It felt like it always came in at the right time to offer the other viewpoint, well done!
Also the chapters were fairly short, so it kept it interesting, with a new subject and illustration at the beginning of each chapter. That combined with the 2 different authors, made it a page turner.
I was a fan of the original Banana Republic, but always wondered what happened to it when they did the rebrand and made it generic like the rest of Gap, at the time wondered if it was the same store.
I was also a fan because I lived in Marin County in the SF Bay Area, so I enjoyed reading about places I was familiar with.
On the disappointing side:
* Image quality: the quality of the images are horrible (in the paperback version I read). It looks like they were printed on a dot matrix printer in the late 1980's. The photographs are almost pointless to print at that low quality. The sketches are OK, but still very low quality. I know it's more expensive, but most books have a section in the middle on nice glossy photo paper they put all the images on, this would have worked great here.
* Catalogue: throughout the book they talk about the amazing catalogue they made, illustrated, year after year. It's all about the catalogue, the catalogue, the catalogue. Yet they don't have any pictures of the catalogue in the entire book! Some of the sketches in the book I'm assuming were in the catalogue, and there are a few covers, but again at so low quality you can't even tell what it is. When I searched online for their catalogues and found them here (https://www.secretfanbase.com/banana/) WOW! Why aren't those in the book nicely illustrated in higher quality?
* Complaining they couldn't do what they wanted after they sold to Gap: this book reads like a few other books I've read of a company that starts out great, then sells out to a big corporation (that's fine), but then the owners spend the latter part of the book complaining about how they can't make all the decisions like they used to. What did they think was going to happen when they sold it? This is similar to Chip Wilson's Lululemon book (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...), and Ken Williams' Sierra book (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...). On the plus side of this, I will say that in this book it wasn't until the very end last short chapter that this came up, throughout most of the book they said how the Gap relationship was fine, unlike the Lululemon and Sierra books where basically the second half of the book is of them complaining that they can't run the company they sold.
Overall, a recommended quick entertaining read. Wish it was better quality with more images/photographs.
June 14, 2021
I probably enjoyed this more than most because I worked for a short time for company just when the relationship with The Gap started to go wrong. I recognized in the book the defensiveness and attempts to convey the Zeiglers' perspective on the issues that came between the partners, and between customers and the company.
For example:
- the growth was too quick, as The Gap tried to please shareholders with good numbers, rather than really decide what was best for Banana Republic
- customers were treated badly if they were not stick thin, because Patricia Ziegler wanted the customers to look like her and her emaciated model, as she says in the book, (paraphrasing) "because her clothes looked better when not worn by fat people"
- returns were frequent due to poor sizing standards because of poor coordination and control over the outsourcing that kept the profit margins high, and US garment workers unemployed
- Banana Republic should have been split early on into "Surplus" stores, and mainstream "Travel and Quality Leisure Wear" stores
- identifying the company so closely with the Zieglers was a marketing bonus, but a corporate nightmare, ensuring the failure of the company after they left, it was a mistake for the Gap to keep them on
- Corporations trust cookie-cutter concepts, not creative, intuitive innovation; but creative ideas can be taken too far, becoming characatures of the original ideas, as happened with Banana Republic
- the cultural appropriation, and link to colonialism and safaris was not a good long-term business model, insensitive even at that time.
The beginning of the business was the most interesting part and would have been even more interesting if there were more details about numbers and personalities. Their ignorance about business, and inability to hire any experts to help them, was frustrating, to say the least. Mystifying, actually.
The ideal would have been an expert business partner who encouraged their orginal idea of surplus goods modified for resale (recycling) with all local workers doing the recycling, with locations only in liberal/university cities/towns.
The fact is, the Zeiglers sold out their new-age, hippie ideals very quickly due to their lack of business sense, and paid a price for it.
For example:
- the growth was too quick, as The Gap tried to please shareholders with good numbers, rather than really decide what was best for Banana Republic
- customers were treated badly if they were not stick thin, because Patricia Ziegler wanted the customers to look like her and her emaciated model, as she says in the book, (paraphrasing) "because her clothes looked better when not worn by fat people"
- returns were frequent due to poor sizing standards because of poor coordination and control over the outsourcing that kept the profit margins high, and US garment workers unemployed
- Banana Republic should have been split early on into "Surplus" stores, and mainstream "Travel and Quality Leisure Wear" stores
- identifying the company so closely with the Zieglers was a marketing bonus, but a corporate nightmare, ensuring the failure of the company after they left, it was a mistake for the Gap to keep them on
- Corporations trust cookie-cutter concepts, not creative, intuitive innovation; but creative ideas can be taken too far, becoming characatures of the original ideas, as happened with Banana Republic
- the cultural appropriation, and link to colonialism and safaris was not a good long-term business model, insensitive even at that time.
The beginning of the business was the most interesting part and would have been even more interesting if there were more details about numbers and personalities. Their ignorance about business, and inability to hire any experts to help them, was frustrating, to say the least. Mystifying, actually.
The ideal would have been an expert business partner who encouraged their orginal idea of surplus goods modified for resale (recycling) with all local workers doing the recycling, with locations only in liberal/university cities/towns.
The fact is, the Zeiglers sold out their new-age, hippie ideals very quickly due to their lack of business sense, and paid a price for it.
November 14, 2025
In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.
— Shunryū Suzuki
An exciting story of how Mel and Patricia quit their jobs and started their own clothing company—declaring that they would never again work for anyone but themselves.
They start out with no funds and no real knowledge of the so-called world of “business.” But their creative minds are an endless source of original ideas—shaping Banana Republic into a beloved brand.
When the Gap eventually becomes a partner, one cannot but notice the irony of the big Gap boss telling them to “stick to what they know.”
It is unfortunate that, as companies mature, their leaders become more conservative and risk-averse—in an attempt to protect what they have already achieved. Compare that to notorious risk takers—Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos—and the achievements their companies have made.
Recommended.
— Shunryū Suzuki
An exciting story of how Mel and Patricia quit their jobs and started their own clothing company—declaring that they would never again work for anyone but themselves.
They start out with no funds and no real knowledge of the so-called world of “business.” But their creative minds are an endless source of original ideas—shaping Banana Republic into a beloved brand.
When the Gap eventually becomes a partner, one cannot but notice the irony of the big Gap boss telling them to “stick to what they know.”
It is unfortunate that, as companies mature, their leaders become more conservative and risk-averse—in an attempt to protect what they have already achieved. Compare that to notorious risk takers—Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos—and the achievements their companies have made.
Recommended.
January 15, 2020
Fantastic book. I read and re-read parts of it.
As an entrepreneur who started my own sustainable clothing brand - in my attempt to 'do' something about the toll of fast fashion on earth rather than just talk about it, this has been a great inspiring book that I took many ideas from.
Infact, I loved it so much that my dream would be if Patricia Ziegler would ever chose to mentor me. Should any of you have any sort of connect with her, kindly connect me to her. I am putting this out for the universe to make it happen.
As an entrepreneur who started my own sustainable clothing brand - in my attempt to 'do' something about the toll of fast fashion on earth rather than just talk about it, this has been a great inspiring book that I took many ideas from.
Infact, I loved it so much that my dream would be if Patricia Ziegler would ever chose to mentor me. Should any of you have any sort of connect with her, kindly connect me to her. I am putting this out for the universe to make it happen.
November 3, 2024
Interesting
Who knew that the Banana Republic retail chain had its origins in old army surplus? That’s not a spoiler, it’s there in practically the first chapter. It’s also what makes this retail history book unique and interesting. Narrated by two people, as the voices of the founding couple, the audio was engaging and pretty fast paced (though I listened at 1.7x). People with a history in the retail trade will appreciate this book (that’s me) and customers of the brand (that’s not me) will equally enjoy this.
Who knew that the Banana Republic retail chain had its origins in old army surplus? That’s not a spoiler, it’s there in practically the first chapter. It’s also what makes this retail history book unique and interesting. Narrated by two people, as the voices of the founding couple, the audio was engaging and pretty fast paced (though I listened at 1.7x). People with a history in the retail trade will appreciate this book (that’s me) and customers of the brand (that’s not me) will equally enjoy this.
April 1, 2020
Wonderful read.
A book about chasing your dreams, without fear or inhibition. Their courage to just do it is simply admirable. This book is such an inspiration, and it gets me to think about my life right now and ask the all important question, “is this how I want to live my life?”
They broke many conventional wisdom about managing a company, and yet still succeed.
What a joy it is to accompany them on this Banana republic adventure!
A book about chasing your dreams, without fear or inhibition. Their courage to just do it is simply admirable. This book is such an inspiration, and it gets me to think about my life right now and ask the all important question, “is this how I want to live my life?”
They broke many conventional wisdom about managing a company, and yet still succeed.
What a joy it is to accompany them on this Banana republic adventure!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2024
The founders of Banana Republic share about their company and how it started, their vision for it from the beginning and how corporate Gap took it away from them. It makes me a little sad that it went from a safari version of Anthropologie to a cookie-cutter store selling preppie work clothes. It was ahead of its time.
September 2, 2024
A really fun read about two very interesting people and their foray into financial independence by starting a business. I learned a lot about the once quirky brand of Banana Republic that is now diluted by corporate P & L reports and manufacturing clothes in questionable work environments. The origins could not have been more different.
August 15, 2024
I did not finish this book. 20% through I abandoned it because it read like a pedantic and poorly written book about the starting of a company with overly romanticised and overly glamourised stories.
February 5, 2025
One of the best stories of creativity. I felt like I was right there with Mel and Patricia as they built a brand that resonated with so many people. I’m now on the hunt for some vintage Banana Republic pieces!
June 21, 2025
Really inspiring read. I loved how Mel and Patricia started Banana Republic from basically nothing and built it into something huge. Even though they ended up leaving the company, you can tell they stayed true to themselves the whole time. It’s a reminder that if you don’t try, you’ll never know.
September 1, 2025
Good book - enjoyable listen. Dual narrators for the two MCs. It was very fun to learn about the history of BR. I remember the BR store that I went to at the Danbury Mall; exactly like explained in the book.
October 15, 2017
Interesting backstory to Banana Republic. Wouldn't have really have been something I would read if not for an entrepreneurial law class, though.
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