This Fall, Banana Republic reintroduces its new brand identity, positioning, and brand promise—winking at its heritage while reinventing itself for today’s modern world. Inspired by its roots, the 43-year-old iconic global lifestyle brand is reimagining every detail of the customer experience in the form of democratic, approachable, and inclusive luxury. From immersive product stories seen in-store and on digital platforms to the updated quality of product designs and fabrics, customers will see elevated experiences and details across all touchpoints.
“We started with a very clear vision of what this iconic American company can be and what we need to do in terms of our product quality and design, packaging and service, our digital experiences, and experiences in our stores to bring this vision to life in a way that excites culture and moves our business,” says Brand President and CEO, Sandra Stangl. “This Fall is just the beginning for Banana Republic. We embark on an adventure of our lifetimes, led by creativity, curiosity, and a newfound drive. The excitement is palpable across the entire organization as we all dream about the opportunities to transform this iconic lifestyle brand into a forever brand: always relevant, always current, never not modern.”
The Fall 2021 campaign kicked off September 7 with The New Look, focusing on leather and suede, reworked in the form of the iconic BR photojournalist vest and cargo pants, modernized leather jumpsuits, and suede shorts-and-blazer separates. Materials that BR has been long known for are back: soft shearling, feather-light suede trench dresses, Italian Merino wool, silk, and cashmere. Additional hero looks include workwear, expedition-ready casualwear, and tailoring that moves.
“With The New Look, our goal is to create silhouettes and branding that is always nostalgic and simultaneously contemporary,” says Chief Brand Officer, Ana Andjelic. “Just like punk and yuppie defined a decade and grunge and metrosexual clashed on the same streets, The New Look blurs sartorial codes. Call it post-genre fashion. Or call it post-fashion altogether: The New Look is less about fashion and more about living. To get there, we mixed the mythical American look, San Francisco imagination, and the late 1990s. Keywords are utilitarian chic and modern casualwear. Safari meets tuxedo, formalwear meets casualwear, menswear meets womenswear, vintage meets tailoring, functionality meets imagination…”
To bring this vision to life, the brand created a new identity, positioning, and promise. Launching September 28, Imagined Worlds reflects Banana Republic as it was originally conceived—a fictitious territory—a far-away and unknown place that is part of explorers’ folklore and adventurers’ lore. Like Shangri-La, Middle Earth, Westeros, or Wakanda, Banana Republic is an imagined world. This invented, dreamlike brand world is a springboard to redefine fashion, design, activism, sustainability, and creativity. The New Look and Imagined Worlds campaigns will run across digital, social, and media channels later this month.
As the brand elevates the quality of its collections, it is also focused on reimagining its digital platforms to be an engaging experience featuring inspirational imagery, video, and music that immerses customers into the new world of Banana Republic. The brand is also upgrading its fleet of stores across the country, thinking holistically about customer experiences from hospitality and styling services to harmonious store design and elevated merchandising.
