Doris Fisher, Gap Co-Founder Who Helped Define Casual Retail, Dies at 94

Doris Fisher, who co-founded Gap with her husband in 1969 and helped build it into a global casual-clothing retailer, has died at 94.

Doris Fisher, who co-founded Gap with her husband, Don Fisher, and helped turn a single San Francisco shop into a global casual-clothing business, has died. She was 94.

Gap said Fisher died Saturday and “passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family.” The company did not specify a cause of death.

The Fishers opened the first Gap store in 1969, after Don Fisher had a frustrating experience trying to find jeans that fit. The shop initially sold jeans and records, aiming at younger customers. Doris Fisher reportedly came up with the company’s name, a reference to the generation gap.

From that start, Gap grew into one of the most recognizable names in American retail, known for jeans, khakis, white T-shirts and hoodies. The company later expanded to include Banana Republic, Old Navy and Athleta, and today operates about 3,570 stores worldwide with annual sales of about $15 billion, according to the BBC’s report.

While Don Fisher served as chief executive and later chairman, Doris Fisher worked as the company’s merchandiser until 2003, helping define Gap’s style and store image. The chain became known for organizing clothing by size and style, an approach described as pioneering at the time.

Gap president and CEO Richard Dickson called Fisher “a full partner in Gap Inc.’s founding and a path-breaking entrepreneur at a time when that was highly unusual for women.” He added that she “worked tirelessly to ensure that Gap Inc. always did more than sell clothes.”

Fisher was also known for her work in arts and education, the company said. Forbes estimated her net worth at $1.7 billion at the time of her death, and she had previously appeared on the magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most powerful women.

Don Fisher died in 2009. The couple’s three sons remain involved in the family’s business and philanthropic interests, according to the BBC.

Gap remains a global retailer, though its fortunes have shifted with changes in shopping habits and competition from lower-cost rivals. It closed its UK and Ireland stores in 2021, later returning to the UK through a joint venture with Next and a small number of standalone stores.