Banana Republic is an American clothing and accessories retailer owned by American multinational corporation Gap Inc. It was founded in 1978 by Mel and Patricia Ziegler with the name \"Banana Republic Travel and Safari Clothing Company with a safari theme in 1983 Gap purchased the company changed the name to simply Banana Republic and gave it a more upscale image.Banana Republic is an American clothing and accessories retailer owned by American multinational corporation Gap Inc. It was founded in 1978 by Mel and Patricia Ziegler with the name \"Banana Republic Travel and Safari Clothing Company with a safari theme in 1983 Gap purchased the company changed the name to simply Banana Republic and gave it a more upscale image.