At The Moment, we search through hundreds of brands to feature those who are making a difference whether from lessening their environmental impact, changing the way garments are made, or offering incredible value. In this Brand Spotlight, we are featuring Banana Republic Factory. When it comes to value, we have rarely seen such incredibly low prices on such a well-curated and designed collection. Heavy with discounting year-round, BR Factory is featuring its’ biggest deal of the year for Cyber Monday with 60% off everything (and free shipping too!) so it’s a great time to re-discover this newly re-vamped brand. One of our founders, Andrea Beechum, shares her take on the latest collection in this haul video and in the following editorial.
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My first real job was at Banana Republic and due to their generous employee discount, most of my collegiate wardrobe originated from Gap Inc brands. However as I grew in my career, I distanced myself from the brand as it evolved into an over-priced carbon copy of The Gap with boring, ill-fitted basics and poor quality construction of its’ classics. However, more recently I noticed a shift in Banana Republic’s marketing and pricing strategy - Vogue quality photoshoots were popping in their advertising, they said good-bye to daily discounting highlighting quality over bargain basement pricing strategies, and they seem to be paying homage to the heritage roots of Banana Republic’s origin. Although I wasn’t quite ready to pay full-price again for this shift, I stumbled across their Factory website and saw the same high-fashion styling and photography that I had seen for the namesake brand, but also saw prices that could be easily digested for how many must-have pieces are in their collection.
The cause of this shift, must be the brain child from the new president & CEO, Sandra Stangl, who took over in 2020 to resurrect the failing brand, as well as Ana Andjelic, the company’s then Chief Brand Officer (now departed as of last year). Both have a long history in the industry creating successful and accessible luxury brands. I was thrilled to see captivating and diverse models sporting well-styled pieces in every photo on the website, allowing for inspiration and excitement within the online shopping experience. In their Fall Collection, it seems they have recognized that although working from home is still prevalent, the work wardrobe does not need to consist of merely sweatpants anymore - see their collection - The Art of Work. In my opinion, they have also laid to rest the old stigma of the ‘outlet’ having only old, outdated, or lesser quality inventory as the Factory seems to have the same aesthetics as its’ namesake and in some cases, even better hand-feel of its’ fabrics. With many of its’ products being made from recycled or sustainable fabrics, it is promising to see that while Banana Republic Factory focuses on offering monetary value, it is not compromising other values.
Compared to the fast fashion brands of Zara, TopShop, and others, this rejuvenated brand feels like a welcomed reprieve for the style-hungry, working professionals, who no longer want to shop alongside high-schoolers or size up multiple times to fit a more developed body type. I highly recommend Banana Republic Factory and check out the episodes of my haul on Youtube or TikTok.
