Doris Fisher, Co-Founder of Gap, Passes Away at 94

Doris Fisher, who co-founded one of the most recognizable clothing retailers in the U.S., has died at the age of 94, as confirmed by CEO Richard Dixon in a statement.

Alongside her late husband, Donald Fisher, Doris opened the first Gap store on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco back in 1969. The store uniquely sold Levi’s jeans along with records and cassette tapes.

She came up with the name “The Gap” to reflect the generational divide between baby boomers and their parents, effectively targeting the youth market.

The company was launched during a boom in denim demand in the 1970s, a time when women in business were quite uncommon. It went on to become one of the leading specialty apparel retailers globally.

Doris was an equal partner in the business from the start, putting in the same amount of capital as her husband and working in their first store.

Currently, Gap operates roughly 3,570 stores around the world, including over 2,500 company-operated locations and more than 1,000 franchises. Their latest reports show annual sales of about $15 billion for the past fiscal year.

Although Donald Fisher held a more public-facing role, Doris was instrumental in shaping the culture and identity of Gap in its early days, fostering a work environment centered on transparency and fairness. She emphasized simple designs, fair pricing, and the importance of equal pay for men and women doing the same work.

Donald Fisher passed away in 2009. The couple had three sons, who remain active in the family’s business and philanthropic efforts.