A store called the Banana Republic was opened in San Francisco in 1978 by Mel and Patricia Ziegler. Both the Zieglers worked for the San Franciso Chronicle, Mel was a writer and Patricia an illustrator.
Banana Republic specialized in casual Safari styles and Army Surplus clothing. Many of the utilitarian items had sturdy zips and snaps and were double-stitched and reinforced. The store sold desert army hats, sheepskin vests, shorts and other items of travel clothing to armchair travelers. The garments were designed by the Zieglers for people to wear when mountain hiking or rafting. Source

Paul Stuart offers Made to Measure custom clothing with precision tailoring and an exclusive collection of uniquely styled suits, sport jackets, overcoats and shirts, all with our extensive selection of fine European fabrics.

Develops and produces a distinctive line of contemporary women's apparel and accessories, which it markets under the bebe, 2b bebe and bebe outlet brands. Current Chairman and Founder Manny Mashouf opened the first bebe boutique in 1976 in San Francisco. At that time, three categories dominated the women's wear market: junior, briouh women inspirational, sexy fashion.

The Missoni boutique, located in Manhattan off of Madison Avenue, is a rather popular store, garnering plenty of attention with their vivid colors and unmistakable prints. Shocking blue dresses with strong brown compliments, bright yellows gently calmed with clean whites, even their most creative combinations seem to blend and contrast to create a gorgeous color pallet on their selections. The Summer 2012 collection is a perfect example of the uniqueness of the store. The brilliantly sophisticated collection is a massive favorite amongst the women of New York, as they rush to buy the dresses. For those interested in a little something for those summer getaways or parties, Missoni has an impressive swim suit collection that doesn't skip out on the fabulous summer fun color choices. The quality of the clothing is superb, all that we have come to expect in the best Italian designers. This vastly unique store is well put together, clean and alive with happy, helpful employees. The location is grand, in the middle of so many other top fashion houses, but still standing out amongst the crowd. A truly unique shopping experience that will keep you coming back again and again for more.

Just North of Little Italy and Chinatown is a fantastic clothing store that many women would die to shop at. Miu Miu, located just off of Broadway in Manhattan, is a chic, girly and super fun store. Stocked full of all sorts of clothing, from skirts and dresses, to boots and purses! Perfect for those who love Prada! Miu miu is also known as Prada's "Edgier, hipper, younger sister", and they couldn't be more right! Full of bright, colorful and comfortable clothes, Miu Miu is great for upcoming Spring and Summer fashion. Everything is well made and worth the money you spend in the store. You've never seen employees happier to help out there customers! They are quick, kind, and super helpful. The customer service is just outstanding. The location is a dynamic and eclectic part of New York, which just adds to the shopping experience. So easy to find and great for those days when you just want to shop, shop, shop! This is a perfect store to shop in for Spring 2012 and the upcoming season of Summer 2012. The fashion designers at Miu Miu really do make women feel beautiful! All in all, you'll be coming back again and again.

Fabulous furs is how this Paris Fashion, J. Mendel, name became known worldwide. Totally Parisian chic and elegance is the rebranding that has occurred with heir apparent, Gilles Mendel delving into the silks and wools that he is becoming famed for. Legendary application of design techniques with fur – effervescence and shimmering are not usual adjectives applied to fur, Gilles has broadened his father’s empire into a full line of fashions, available at his boutique on Rue St. Honore in Paris, and in his New York City atelier, Manhattan of course. Exclusive is his middle name, with boutiques only in New York, London, Paris, Moscow and the elite neighborhood of Chevy Chase, Maryland. White and Black are perennial favorites, but this Spring and Summer 2012 collection has blossomed into joyful yellows and hot tangerines, turning everyone’s head walking down Madison Ave. Relatively new to the scene, start watching red carpet fashions as celebrities and gorgeous actresses discover his flowing, tastefully revealing and sensual gowns. It is easy to see why Gilles has extended into a full line of women’s clothing. His love of the female form is evident in his artistic creations.

Being touted as a “Manhattan Flagship in the Works,” New York City clothing store Celine is quickly becoming one of the biggest players in the fashion world. Celine fashion clothing store is a subsidiary of French multinational conglomerate LVMH and has been allowed to shine with LVMH’s inspired outlook on business and fashion. With its Manhattan fashion clothing store located on famous Madison Avenue, Celine captured the imagination by offering inspired dresses, jackets, luggage and blouses designed by the impeccable Michael Kors until 2004. Following the coming and going of several world renowned designers, Celine began featuring prestigious collections by Phoebe Philo. Philo, a fabulous designer who became famous for her work with Chloe, has re-invented the Celine line with her own unique styles and visionary guidance. As a result, Celine has jumped astronomically in editorial credit ranking, listing it with the top 10 in most major markets, according to the label’s CEO Marco Gobbetti, and continues to make a cultural impact. As a leader in Manhattan clothing retailers, a hot and trendy brand and an astounding shopping experience, look no further than an afternoon’s fashion shopping spree at Celine’s.

Established in 1960 by legendary fashion icon Valentino Garavani, the Maison has grown over the years and now operates in more than 70 different countries counting over 1250 points of sale, 66 of which are directly managed.

Fabulously feminine and wondrously fanciful, Anna Sui’s creations enhance the beauty of every woman, regardless of age and size. She designs for every woman; flowing fabrics and delicious colors, sparkling cosmetics and yummy fragrances, eyewear, accessories, all you have to do is go down to her shop in Manhattan’s eclectic Greenwich Village and exult in her ever youthful inspirations. Ever since she was four years old, she knew that she wanted to design beautiful things for women; her young imagination and insatiable ambition has resulted in a one-of-a-kind collection of fashions that although copied by knock-offs, can never duplicate the spirit and quality. Anna is a true New Yorker and revels in individuality that is born from a strong inner spirit and confidence in expression. She loves to seek out fabrics that compliment more than just a fashion fad or trend; she is an artist that uses the natural beauty of woman as her canvas and never disappoints. For Spring Summer 2012, she will delight you with her subtlety, brilliance and really fun shopping experience at her store. Make sure you make room in your shopping schedule and your budget for personal time, with Anna Sui.

Brands/ lifestyles include Calvin Klein Collection, ck Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein Jeans, Calvin Klein Underwear, and Calvin Klein Home.

Ralph J. Lauren was born in the New York City borough of The Bronx to Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants Fraydl and Frank Lifshitz, his father was a house painter.
From a very young age, he started working after school to earn money to buy stylish, expensive suits with an early preference for quality over quantity. His attire soon gave him a trendy reputation among his peers. The well-known Calvin Klein, a younger contemporary also lived in the same Bronx neighbourhood. Source

The Years of Cristobal Balenciaga
1918 saw the founding of Cristobal Balenciaga’s first haute couture house in San Sébastian, Spain. Local admiration for his designs was so strong that a second haute couture house was opened in Madrid and a third in Barcelona. In 1937, 10, Avenue George V became the Parisian home of Cristobal Balenciaga’s creative influence. Balenciaga’s Paris flagship store is still located at this address.
Balenciaga soon came to embody Parisian elegance. Cristobal Balenciaga was hailed as ‘The Couturier of Couturiers’ and ‘The Master of us all’’ by designer Christian Dior. In 1946, the House of Balenciaga launched its first perfume, ‘Le Dix’, aptly named after its first atelier, 10, Avenue George V. ‘Le Dix’ attracted the same acclaim as the famous Balenciaga couture pieces, and the perfume soon even rivalled that of Coco Chanel herself. In 1968, Balenciaga closed his couture house, to the deep dismay of his favourite clients. Countess Mona Bismarck lamented the event by locking herself indoors for three days.

Ungaro retired and sold the label to internet entrepreneur Asim Abdullah in 2005. After the sale, the label was languished with a revolving door of designers, the last of which, Esteban Cortazar, who was appointed in 2007, was fired two years later after his refusal to work with actress Lindsay Lohan. Subsequently, Lohan was appointed Artistic Director, working with new head designer Estrella Archs, who was hired hastily to replace Cortazar.[3] The introduction of Lohan, which was meant to give the label publicity, was received with shock and dismay in Paris Fashion Week 2009.[3] In 2010, during Paris Fashion Week, Lindsay Lohan announced that she was no longer working for or with Ungaro, and that she could not comment on the matter because of legal issues. Source

"Your source for wholesale shearling jackets and coats! We manufacture the highest quality shearling coats and shearling jackets for men and women. We carry styles ranging from vests and jackets to long, full-length shearling coats.We have been producing fine shearlings for the wholesale trade for four generations and have had an outlet open to the public for about 25 years.
Our reputation and quality are unrivaled. We have hundreds of shearling garments for men and women in stock. In our outlet you may purchase many samples and production prototypes at large savings from their suggested retail prices."

The Armani signature label is the most expensive Armani label and is available in its 75 worldwide boutiques. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org

From the cutest dresses to their patented overalls, OshKosh B-Gosh is an American institution and the number one store for fashionable children’s apparel. Shopping in time Square? Well, resting in the heart of New York’s famous 5th Avenue, OshKosh offers a wide variety of merchandise for children of all ages. Originally founded in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1895, OshKosh B-Gosh was primarily an adult work clothes manufacturer that developed a set of bibbed overalls for children to look like their fathers. As time went on, OshKosh began to sell their wares through department stores and filled in a gap by bringing a sense of fashion not readily available to children’s clothing. With now over one hundred outlet stores available in the United States, this New York city clothing storehas become synonymous with quality children’s ware and continues to lead the world in their innovative designs and family friendly methods. With their groundbreaking clothing for babies and extensive selections of shirts, pants, sweaters and jeans and shoes, it is easy to see why OskKosh B-Gosh is such a popular Manhattan clothing store, ideal for all parents to visit.

New York clothing stores come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Strawberry is happy to let everyone know that they give the best bargain for the highest quality merchandise. Professional shoppers and amateur bargain hunters mark their maps with a big red strawberry to make sure they visit this bastion of bargains. The Strawberry Store located in the heart of Manhattan is no exception. With their extensive collections of jewelry, accessories and more, Strawberry is one of New York's leading retailers of fashion clothing, specializing in popular priced junior, junior plus and misses clothing. Strawberry prides themselves on being able to offer “Up-to-the Minute” fashions on a daily basis with brand names selling at a fraction of the department store prices. Come downtown to Manhattan often because each day, this mega bargain fashion clothing store boasts clearance pricing on a variety of top flight merchandise which gives the consumers an opportunity to look great for less. For a great deal, a fantastic atmosphere and a wonderful shopping experience, stop in at the Strawberry Store and see why it is one of Manhattan’s premier clothing outlets.

For sweeping lines and a classic designer look, seek out Yohji Yamamoto’s exclusive boutique on Manhattan’s edgy Canal Street. Japanese fashion has always presented strong lines and striking styles, but this Japanese fashion designer has interwoven the strength of the Japanese culture with the spirit of the West, pioneering traditional Imperial Japanese structure, phenomenally successful Japanese animated art and the individual spirit of those of us who live in America. His Spring Summer 2012 collection, Noir, for men and women is as pleasurable to the eye as it is comfortable to wear. His flowing styles enhance the human form with grace and elegance, transporting us away from down and dirty jeans and steel and glass Wall St. executive sterile suits. If you are looking for quality clothing you can wear everywhere, the opening of a new night club, the announcement of your promotion at your marketing company or just because you love to wear clothes that make you look and feel good, then head on down to Yohji Yamamoto’s one-of-a-kind designer New York City boutique. With three collections to choose from, Yohji Yamamoto Femme, Homme, Noir and Y’s, you have every opportunity to dress in the height of fashion.

Family owned and operated for over 40 years, Dave's New York features branded "Americana" rugged and casual clothing. Interactive American icon brands such as Levi's, Carhartt, Red Wing, Dickies, Schott, Alpha, Woolrich, Columbia, and Chippewa are offered in a wide selection of models at very favorable pricing.

After 20 years in the surf, skate and snowboard business, founder Chip Wilson took the first commercial yoga class offered in Vancouver and found the result exhilarating. The post yoga feeling was so close to surfing and snowboarding that it seemed obvious that yoga was an ideology whose time had come (again).

A high-end high street clothing retailer with more than 69 stores in North America. It is owned by Polo Ralph Lauren. An international men’s and women’s lifestyle brand with a distinctly urban casual point of view, best defined as a play of opposites: mining vintage with new, hard with soft and eclecticism with minimalism. Each season, Club Monaco offers customers must have fashion and key pieces that together are the foundation of a modern wardrobe.