Nasty Gal makes its move from clicks to bricks

LOS ANGELES -The wait is over: Nasty Gal, the teen-fave online player with a cult following, has opened its first retail store, on Melrose Avenue in the heart of Hollywood, California.



"We've been having a dialogue with our gal for eight years this month and to celebrate that, we're taking the conversation offline," said Sophia Amoruso, CEO and founder of Nasty Gal, and author of the best-selling #GIRLBOSS book.



The 3,500-sq.-ft. store store is as offbeat and boundary-pushing as its founder. It is centralized around the try-on experience, with a mirrored glass structure at the center of the space which houses five fit rooms. The rooms will allow voyeuristic shoppers to try on clothes behind two-way mirrored doors, allowing them to see out with complete privacy.



The retail store offers a curated selection of the brand’s signature fashion-forward apparel, shoes, intimates, accessories, tech and gifting items , as well as exclusive vintage pieces. Other features include a shoe salon and magazine library—and a live cactus garden.



Designed by architect Rafael de Cardenas, the space takes inspiration from concert stages with reflective surfaces and open, cage-like structures that suggest both exhibitionism and privacy.



After speaking with fans on her book tour, Amoruso decided it was important herself and the Nasty Gal brand to engage with customers in real time.



"We are engineering shareable moments, both visual and experiential, into our stores," Amoruso explained. "We are creating real-life social media by engaging the community we have built purely online. Where that goes is truly limitless."



Nasty Gal is known for regularly updating its website with new offerings. The policy will continue in the retail space with new merchandise arriving several times a week. Store merchandising will not only focus on the Nasty Gal heritage, but promote key product themes of the season.



"We have always been about bold personalities, a strong look, and a specific sound, and this is the first time we will be combining all of those elements into a real life, physical experience," said Amoruso.