Books

#GIRLBOSS By Sophia Amoruso

18/02/15

Sophia Amoruso is the founder of Nasty Gal. It first started on eBay with just a few thrift shop vintage findings and after 7 years it became a $100 million-worth online retail store. However, she lived a rather interesting life before Nasty Gal. She never exactly belonged anywhere. She moved schools, hitchhiked during just her teens, committed petty theft (She actually walked out of a supermarket with a cart full of unpaid things, and yes she got caught), and most of all dumpster dived. That’s not the worst part, she actually liked it.

"The real challenge lies in perfecting the art of knowing 

which rules to accept and which to rewrite."

The only thing that was constant in her early 20s was her Hernia. That disease got her committed to one job that gave her a health insurance, a lot of free time and a free wifi access. Guess what the job is? ID Checker in an Art Museum. Yes, before she became the CEO of a world-known online retail shop, she was invisible. I mean do you remember how your art museum ID Checker looks like? Exactly. So imagine what she went through and the stories she has from her experience. I bet you can’t, no one can. 

Now, if you think autobiographies are boring and biased, this one is the total opposite. She talked about her mistakes instead of boasting her achievements. One thing for sure she doesn’t fancy descriptive big words. She’s very “to the point”. So you’ll easily understand the message she’s trying to tell you. What i love most is that it’s so evident on how she grew into a much more responsible, mature, independent woman even just from her words. Despite the fact that she was a reckless rebel, she knew when to break the rules and when to make them. What surprises me most was that she knew how to manage her money well even better than people who were born rich. Usually, being new to wealth can drive people crazy or greedy but instead, she was so cautious of her spendings. She also threw in so many amazing quotes that might sound shallow but after reading it twice, you will dog-ear the page.

"When you don't dress like everyone else, you don't have to think like everyone else."

This book is definitely very useful for newcomers to the Fashion industry. Through this book she gave a glimpse of what is to come and how to handle it. From eBay icon silhouettes to acing an interview. One of the most important thing that i learned from her is that, we might have to do the things that we never imagined would be doing. When she first started her online vintage shop, she was basically doing a one woman show at the beginning. She was the photographer, stylist, makeup artist, casting and everything else. After being a fashion student for several months, i’ve realised that I’am plunging into such a tough world (yes it only took me several months to realise that). There’s no limit in the fashion world. Thus, there’s no limit on how good my competitors can get. Just like what my parents keep saying “You won’t just be competing with your classmates but you will be competing with the whole world.” So, i guess what I'm saying here we have to fill up our plate as much as we can. Pick up as much skills we can while we still have the time because we never know how useful it can be.

"In the fashion industry, a lot of companies require you to wear so many hats."

- Ashley Glorioso, Senior Stylist of Nasty Gal

Now, #GIRLBOSS is not only a book, it's also a foundation that is funding creative female entrepreneurs in the world of designs, fashion, music, and the arts.You can find out more on the foundation here . Her book is available in bookstores and online as well. 

And here's my favourite quote of all from the book..

"Evolution is the name of the game when you're in the fashion industry ... and we don't just want to stay on top of that game - we want to stay ahead of it."

Next review will be on … 

The Teen Vogue Handbook 2014 Edition