Ah remember the days when Nasty Gal was just an eBay shop? Founder, Sophia Amoruso, always had an eye for great clothes. Then we saw her launch her own shop, that started off being a lovely mix of vintage and small, unknown labels and always affordably priced. And now look at Nasty Gal - easily one of the most successful online shops to appear in recent years. Without a doubt, Sophia Amoruso is a very astitute business woman with impeccable timing. Nasty Gal was deemed the fastest-growing retail company on the Inc. 5000 list in 2012 and Forbes’ Victoria Barrett said that the revenue expected in 2012 for the shop would be quadruple the $28 million in sales that Nasty Gal did in 2011. Highly impressive figures for a venture started out by a woman who dropped out of community college.
The Nasty Gal of now is much more impressive affair than when it started out. The ethos of Nasty Gal remains, but has grown to now stock in-demand labels such as Jeffrey Campbell and UNIF.
More exciting though is their recent venture into designing their own clothes. It was always going to happen, but I admit to be more impressed by their offering than I ever expected to be.
Their most recent SS13 collection is an absolute joy to behold. It's like a more sophisticated, grown up version of the overall Nasty Gal shop aesthetic. Beautifully cut, structured neoprene dresses nestle happily alongside flirty sheer skirts and shorts, all in a pastel hued palette with pops of bright pink here and there.
I have not been able to get the bomber jacket, seen below, out of head since I first saw it. It's possiblty the most perfect spring piece. The only reason I haven't taken the plunge is because of the inevitably hefty UK customs charges associated with buying a $150 item.
It's a real shame because I would definitely buy several other pieces from the collection too.
Of course, the more I look at the jacket the more I am tempted just to bite the bullet and deal with the charges when they happen. Oh well, stay tuned to see if I cave in! And feel free to take bets...
Queen Michelle
