Founded
Retail Trade
Nasty Gal
Acquired · 2017
Vintage-fashion e-commerce brand that overexpanded amid culture controversies, filed Chapter 11 in 2016, and was bought by Boohoo in 2017 — still operating online today.
Los Angeles, USA2006–2017
Key metrics
$65M
Total funding
$77.1M
Revenue
550 people
Team at peak
3
Funding rounds
Outcome
Acquired
Acquired
Nasty Gal filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 2016 after years of overexpansion, mismanagement, and workplace-culture controversy. Its brand and assets were bought out of bankruptcy by UK fast-fashion retailer Boohoo Group in February 2017 (winning bid reported near $20M). Nasty Gal continues to operate today as an online-only brand within Boohoo's portfolio.
2017
Financial trajectory
Funding by round
The Story
Series A
$9M
Series B
$40M
Series C
$16M
Acquired
What didn't work
- 01
Nasty Gal grew explosively as an eBay vintage-clothing shop and then its own e-commerce site, but leadership overspent on physical retail, staff, and inventory at too high a valuation while revenue growth stalled
- 02
pregnancy-discrimination lawsuits and widely reported toxic-workplace allegations further damaged the brand, culminating in Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 2016.
OverexpansionExecution FlawsTrust/Toxicity Issues
THE VENTURE TRAIL TAKE
Explosive early revenue growth can mask fatal overexpansion and culture problems that catch up with a company the moment growth slows.
Company details
- Business model
- D2C Retail
- Founded
- 2006
- Headquarters
- Los Angeles, USA
- Team at peak
- 550 people
- Funding rounds
- 3
- Investors
- Index Ventures · Hercules Capital
Founder
- Sophia Amoruso
- Founded Nasty Gal in 2006 as an eBay store selling vintage clothing while working as a campus security guard; later wrote the bestselling memoir #GIRLBOSS and founded a separate company, Girlboss Media
Sources
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