Doris Fisher, who helped build The Gap into a defining brand of American casual style, died on Saturday at age 94, a Gap spokesperson confirmed Monday. The San Francisco-based company said it would not specify a cause of death.
Fisher co-founded the clothing chain with her late husband, Don, in 1969 after what the retailer described as a frustrating shopping experience in which Don Fisher couldn’t find a pair of jeans that fit. The couple then opened a small store on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco, initially selling men’s Levi’s jeans and record tapes.
Over time, Gap’s focus on simple casual looks—ranging from khakis and jeans to T-shirts and sweater sets—became the foundation of the company’s expansion, Gap said. The chain later grew into other brands, including Banana Republic and Old Navy, and Gap reported that it now generates more than $15 billion in sales globally.
Gap said Fisher served as the company’s fashion merchandiser for nearly four decades, while Don Fisher focused on the business side. The company also said Fisher came up with the name “Gap,” specifically to bridge the “generation gap” between parents and children.
In a statement issued Monday, Gap CEO and President Richard Dickson said, “There is simply no equal to Doris Fisher.” He added that “In Gap-speak, she was a true original,” describing Fisher as “a full partner in Gap Inc.’s founding” and a “path-breaking entrepreneur” at a time when, he said, such roles were highly unusual for women.
Dickson also said Fisher “worked tirelessly to ensure that Gap Inc. always did more than sell clothes.” He said she understood the value of self-expression, diversity and inclusion, and that her influence extended beyond merchandising and store design into Gap’s advertising and product development.
Gap said it went public in 1976, and that Fisher maintained a “steadfast” presence during the company’s expansion while pushing the company to focus on customers’ needs. The company also credited her with shaping the cultural tone of Gap advertising and product development.
Beyond the company, the Fishers were involved in philanthropic efforts, Gap said. The company said the couple amassed one of the largest private collections of modern and contemporary art in the country and that in 2009 the family pledged more than 1,100 works to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Gap also said Fisher was an advocate for educational opportunities for disadvantaged students and served on the board of Knowledge Is Power Program, known as KIPP, a network of high-performing charter schools designed to create opportunities 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.
Fisher is survived by her three sons—Robert, William and John—and her family said they have carried forward the business and philanthropic commitments tied to San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, KIPP, Stanford University, the Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco, the San Francisco Symphony and The Gap Foundation. Gap said she is also survived by 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.