Marissa Webb Steps Down as Creative Director of Banana Republic

Gap’s recent financial figures showed that Banana Republic’s sales in stores that are open for at least 12 months have fallen 10 percent in September compared to a year ago. Gap Inc. will continue to have a minority stake in the designer’s eponymous line.

Ms. Webb will be a creative adviser to Banana Republic, according to the report.

The company has always been struggling to turn around its Gap namesake business and improve its business at Banana Republic. Through the close of regular-session trading Thursday, the stock is down 31 per cent since the beginning of the year.

WWD, a fashion news website, stated that Banana Republic’s comparable sales were down four percent in the second-quarter of 2015 and down eight percent in the first-quarter of 2015.

Sales in stores open at least a year slipped 1 percent.

Webb was initially brought on with the company in April of 2014 to help reinvigorate the brand. She noted that Banana Republic will not fill the creative director spot at this time. “We’ll continue to support Marissa and her success in the future”, Owen added.

Webb, who was hired to re-energize the brand and is known for her oversized jackets, will transition into a creative adviser role “affording her more time to focus on her own collection”, Gap said in a statement.

Webb did build up the design team at Banana, and tried to push the brand forward in terms of providing styles that women could wear for their daytime activities and into the evening, with more details.

Chief Executive Officer Art Peck has been reshuffling the retailer’s leadership since taking the helm in February, including naming new brand presidents at the Gap and Banana Republic chains.

The personnel change marks the second big management change in a week. “A creative director, that sort of role, does have a broader touch point”, rather than conforming to a collaborative spirit, said one insider.

Over the past week, there has been a spate of high-level departures from retail corporations.