Doris Fisher, who co-founded iconic clothing chain The Gap alongside her late husband, has died at the age of 94.
A Gap spokesperson confirmed on Monday that Fisher passed away on Saturday surrounded by her family, a cause of death was not specified.
Doris and her husband Don co-founded the brand after Don could not find a pair of jeans that fit in 1969, according to the retailer.
The business eventually grew into a company with $15.4 billion in sales and more than 3,500 stores worldwide, including subsidiaries Banana Republic and Old Navy.
A statement from her family said: ‘She lived her values with purpose and integrity and believed that partnership made life richer.
‘As a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, her love shaped generations. She was a builder at heart — shaping organizations, investing in people, creating possibility — and she carried this spirit through every part of her life.
‘We believe her legacy lives on not only in what she created, but in how she lived.’
The Fishers opened their first storefront on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco, California, and originally only sold men’s Levi’s jeans and record tapes.
A Gap spokesperson confirmed on Monday that Fisher passed away on Saturday surrounded by her family
Doris and her husband Don, both seen here in 2007, co-founded the brand after Don could not find a pair of jeans that fit in 1969
The brand became the foundation for a global empire and reshaped American fashion with a focus on casual looks.
Fisher was the company’s fashion merchandiser for nearly four decades, while her husband focused on the business side.
The company said that she came up with the company’s name, specifically to bridge the ‘generation gap’ between parents and children. Don Fisher died in 2009.
Gap’s CEO and President Richard Dickson said in a statement: ‘There is simply no equal to Doris Fisher.
‘In Gap-speak, she was a true original. 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.
‘She understood firsthand the value of self-expression, diversity, and inclusion.’
The company also noted that Fisher’s influence extended beyond merchandising and store design.
She helped shape the cultural tone of Gap advertising and product development, while maintaining a ‘steadfast’ presence in the company’s expansion and pushing the company to focus on the customer’s needs. Gap went public in 1976.
The Fishers opened their first storefront on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco, California, and originally only sold men’s Levi’s jeans and record tapes
A window display at the headquarters of the Gap in San Francisco is seen here in a 2004 file photo
Fisher is seen here alongside former California first lady Anne Gust brown after she was inducted into the California Hall of Fame in 2011
The Fishers also were involved in philanthropic endeavors. The couple amassed one of the largest private collections of modern and contemporary art in the country, Gap said.
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.
Fisher was also an advocate of educational opportunities for disadvantaged students. She served on the board of Knowledge Is Power Program, known as KIPP, a network of high-performing charter schools aimed at creating opportunity for underserved students.
Born in San Francisco in 1931, Doris Feigenbaum grew up in a family ‘steeped in values of enterprise, culture, and community service,’ according to Gap.
She graduated from Stanford University in 1953, where she studied economics.
She is survived by her three sons – Robert, William, and John – all of whom have carried forward the family’s business and philanthropic commitments with San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, KIPP, Stanford University, The Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco, the San Francisco Symphony, and The Gap Foundation.
She is also survived by 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, the company said.
