Don Fisher, the retail legend who along with his wife Doris, founded a single blue jeans store on San Francisco's Ocean Avenue and eventually, an entire clothing empire, passed away yesterday after a long battle with cancer. He was 81. His achievements transcended the retail category: as the store, which stocked Levis, records, and tapes grew into a now $15 billion global business, Fisher maintained a focus on thoughtful expansion and integrity, a sign that his philanthropic goals were just as important to him as his entrepreneurial ones. The road to
The Gap was full of ups and downs, but success came in 1969 when he realized the need for an entire store devoted to pants, which was then the fastest growing classification-- soon after, the business plan was laid down and the first store opened, and the public loved what they saw. A lack of retail experience did not hinder Fisher in the least-- it only left room for more innovation. The Gap label was launched a few years later-- never before had a brand name used its store name. Philanthropy played a large role in his ventures. He founded Gap Foundation to help people in underserved communities worldwide grab hold of their futures, and was the force behind two of the most well-known and successful education reform organizations, Teach For America and the Knowledge Is Power program. As avid collectors of art, the Fishers contributed a great deal to SFMOMA, including their own collection. His achievements and contributions to San Francisco and the global community are truly infinite, and he will never be forgotten!
Photos: Gap, Inc.
