From San Francisco, with love: Gap Inc. + Circa of America
by Kelly Flanagan and Brooke Ginnard, Gap Inc. bloggers
In 1969, Doris and Don Fisher opened the first Gap store in San Francisco. Almost 50 years later, that initial Ocean Avenue storefront has evolved into one of the world’s largest fashion apparel retailers. Gap Inc. has become one of the city’s most iconic homegrown companies, its global headquarters nestled against the San Francisco Bay.
But less well-known is the long-standing partnership between Gap Inc. and another local apparel stalwart, Circa of America, LLC.
First established as The Leather Shop on Haight Street in 1967, Circa received its first order for belts from Gap in 1969 — the same year Gap Inc. was founded.
As both companies grew and expanded across the globe, so did their partnership. Circa of America is currently the largest leather manufacturer in the U.S., with millions of belts designed and produced for Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy brands.
See the care and precision with which each piece of leather is crafted at Circa’s headquarters and manufacturing facility in SF’s Bayview neighborhood:
From May 8 through May 14, Gap Inc. and Circa of America are sponsoring SFMade Week, which showcases San Francisco’s vibrant local manufacturing sector.
Visit SFMade.org to learn more about San Francisco businesses and the local manufacturing community.
Don’t miss out on the latest Gap Inc. news! Sign-up to get email alerts about news on Gap Inc. and our brands.