Gap Inc
Image: Gapinc.com
An accomplished retail professional, Eva Lea Klein spent more than 40 years in the retail industry as a manager, salesperson, and tailor. Most recently, Eva Lea Klein served as a tailor with Gap Inc.’s Banana Republic brand at a store in Boca Raton, Florida.
Founded by Doris and Don Fisher in 1969, Gap Inc. began as a single clothing outlet in San Francisco. The company grew rapidly, and in 1983 acquired Banana Republic, a popular fashion retailer which itself had been founded just five years earlier. Since then, the company has expanded to include popular chains such as Old Navy while forging a corporate philosophy that includes a commitment to social responsibility.
Gap Inc. maintains a particular interest in promoting sustainable manufacturing practices in the clothing industry. To better fulfill this commitment, in 2017 the company announced a new policy that would eliminate the use of wood-derived fabrics harvested from endangered forests. The policy was developed in partnership with the nonprofit group Canopy, which works with companies across a range of industries to eliminate the use of raw materials from endangered and old-growth forests.
Many common fabrics, such as rayon, use cellulose as a primary ingredient. For years, much of this cellulose was harvested from arboreal regions without consideration for sustainability. This has led to endangerment not only of the forests themselves but also of the many species that rely on them as habitat.
Eva Lea Klein 