Nasty Gal grew 11,200% in three years, then filed for bankruptcy in ten

Nasty Gal was founded by Sophia Amoruso in 2006 as an eBay store selling vintage clothing. The brand grew explosively — 11,200% revenue growth over three years, with 2011 revenue reaching $24 million. Amoruso's memoir, '#Girlboss', became a bestseller and a Netflix series, and Nasty Gal became the emblem of millennial female entrepreneurship.

The growth masked operational and cultural problems. In 2015, four former employees filed a lawsuit alleging they had been fired because of pregnancy. Numerous Glassdoor reviews described a toxic work environment. The brand's social-media-first marketing had built a following, but the business infrastructure — supply chain, customer service, management — had not kept pace with the growth.

In November 2016, Nasty Gal filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company that had been the subject of a bestselling book and a television series was insolvent within a decade of its founding. The bankruptcy filing came less than two years after the #Girlboss brand was at its cultural peak.

In February 2017, Boohoo Group acquired Nasty Gal for $40 million. The brand continued as a subsidiary of the British fast-fashion group. Amoruso had left the company before the sale. The trajectory from eBay vintage store to #Girlboss empire to Chapter 11 to a $40 million fire sale took ten years.