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1988 Conde Nast Article: Banana Republic Coup

“I think of myself as a traveler in the same way other people think of themselves as Democrats or Republicans or vegetarians.” Mel Ziegler once said. Just one of many wonderful quotes in this fascinating article from a 1988 issue of Conde Nast. Published immediately after the Zieglers left Banana Republic, it’s a look at what went down, written at a time when things were most raw. It profiles Mel Ziegler and focuses on the rise and fall of Trips magazine.

“What rock and roll is to the Sixties, travel is to the Eighties.”

About The Author

Robyn Adams
Robyn's fascination with Banana Republic began in 1984 when her Alaskan adventurer father began buying the clothing and giving her the catalogs. She loved the clothes and as an artist she was drawn to the illustrations. She went on to study illustration at art college in BR's hometown of San Francisco and worked for years as a background artist for animation. She is now based in Oakland, CA as a graphic designer and illustrator with Secret Fan Base . She's been collecting and archiving at Abandoned Republic since 2011.

2 Comments

  • Michelle Paloutzian Maggi on September 29, 2022

    That was great! Insightful. Thanks for sharing.

  • Chris on March 26, 2023

    Thank you for doing this. “The Real BR “ was a mainstay of my life in my early twenties. They were not just selling clothes, but selling a dream. I was devastated when they ‘sold out’ and became what they are today. It has always got me angry since to walk past one of their stores. I wish they would change the name to at least leave the original store with some dignity. Recently they have ‘revived’ the vintage BR style, but they have it all wrong. Instead of clothes that could be used for true adventures, the new vintage line gives us clothes that appeal to city people who have no idea what real adventure is. Anyways, thank you for the nostalgia you bring with your web site.

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