Doris F. Fisher, who cofounded Gap in 1969 with her late husband Donald Fisher and steered the business into becoming a household brand name that ultimately redefined America’s casual dress code, died Saturday in San Francisco at the age of 94.
Gap Inc. on Monday confirmed Fisher’s death and indicated that she died peaceably surrounded by family.
The retailer got its start when Fisher’s husband became frustrated that he could not find jeans that fit him. He left behind a career in real estate development and entered retailing, with his wife firmly believing that opportunity existed for a store that could provide shoppers with a variety of fit and style options. The couple raised $63,000 to launch The Gap in 1969 with one small store at 1950 Ocean Avenue in San Francisco, primarily selling Levi’s jeans, vinyl records and cassettes with a particular appeal to the counterculture youth of the day. The store performed well, encouraging the Fishers to open a second Gap store in 1970 in San Jose, Calif.
Through their decades of entrepreneurship and leadership, the Fishers maintained a philosophy of reshaping American fashion with a focus on simplicity, accessibility and social responsibility. They expanded Gap Inc. to include Banana Republic which they purchased in 1983 from another entrepreneurial couple, Mel and Patricia Ziegler, who founded the company. Subsequently, Old Navy was launched internally from the ground up, led by former Gap Inc. chief executive officer Mickey Drexler. The company also operates the Athleta brand.
Doris and Don Fisher in the Sixties.
“As one of fashion’s great power couples, Doris and Don created a remarkable company that revolutionized fashion retail,” said Richard Dickson, president and chief executive officer of Gap Inc., in a note to employees on Monday. “They introduced the world to some of America’s most iconic brands, including energetic new perspectives on everything from denim and khakis to white shirts and safari jackets. Most of all, they gave us, the future of Gap Inc., a powerful legacy to grow.
“Doris was a full partner in Gap Inc.’s founding and a path-breaking entrepreneur at a time when that was highly unusual for women,” Dickson said. “She understood first-hand the value of self-expression, diversity and inclusion. And she worked tirelessly to ensure that Gap Inc. always did more than sell clothes.”
“Doris named the company Gap and her inspiration was the Generation Gap,” recalled Drexler, who after Gap Inc. led J. Crew Group and is now chairman of Alex Mill. “At the Gap, Doris was a wonderful partner and board member. On Mondays she would send over samples of cool stuff she saw the week before. It was a great habit of hers that actually helped us a lot. Partnering with Don, she was involved at key stages of the business, making important contributions to the growth of the company. And she was truly a great mom and grandmother. I can’t say enough positive things about her.”
She was also in the habit of sending handwritten notes to employees at all levels.
Born in San Francisco in 1931, Doris Feigenbaum grew up in a family steeped in values of enterprise, culture and community service. She graduated from Stanford University in 1953 having studied economics and cultivated a sharp business mind.
According to Gap Inc., Doris Fisher’s influence at the San Francisco-based retail giant extended to merchandising and store design at Gap, though she also helped shape the cultural tone of the retailer’s advertising and product development, maintaining “a quiet but steadfast presence in the company’s evolution and pushing the company to focus intently on the customer. People who knew her described her as largely a private person who kept behind the scenes but highly influential in the company. She sat on the company’s board until 2009, when she became an honorary lifetime director.”
Fisher once said: “We must have complete knowledge of what we want to stand for in our business. That will make our store sing with excitement for the type of customer we want to appeal to, and have complete awareness as to our customers’ needs.”
She also said: “We do our best to lead by example. Not because others are watching, but because it’s the right thing to do.”
Along the way, the Fishers amassed one of the largest private collections of modern and contemporary art in the country. In 2009, the family pledged more than 1,100 works to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, one of the largest gifts of its kind. “Art challenges you,” she once said in a rare public statement about the collection.
In addition, Fisher served on the board of KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program), a network of high-performing charter schools aimed at creating opportunity for underserved students. “Her support went beyond donations — she believed passionately in educational equity,” Gap Inc. said.
The retailer also pointed out that her children and grandchildren have carried forward Fisher’s philanthropic endeavors in the arts and education, including supporting San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, KIPP, Stanford University, The Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco, the San Francisco Symphony and The Gap Foundation.
Doris Fisher is survived by her three sons: Robert, William, and John; 10 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art or the KIPP Foundation Northern California. Gap Inc. will soon share details on plans to celebrate Doris’s life.
“Never content with what is, Doris continuously imagined what might be and then made it happen,” Dickson wrote in his note. “In fact, a great deal of Gap Inc. culture at its best derives from Doris’s influence. Saying what you mean. Doing what you say you’re going to do. And then doing it with kindness, candor, and respect.”
