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Being right is “boring,” says Sophia Amoruso – Metro US

Being right is “boring,” says Sophia Amoruso

Being right is “boring,” says Sophia Amoruso
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At just 32 years old, Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amoruso has quite the résumé: she built a fashion empire from the ground up, wrote a New York Times best seller, “#Girlboss” and is working on a Netflix show about her life that’s being produced by Charlize Theron.

Now, she’s back with “Nasty Galaxy,” a colorful and eclectic collection of photos and stories that have influenced the Nasty Gal brand.

RELATED: ‘#GIRLBOSS’: Nasty Gal CEO shares unlikely success story

“‘Nasty Galaxy’ is like a life bible of my influences,” explains Amoruso. “Profiles on badass women… are mixed in with mini essays on everything from really embarrassing moments to my musings on love, networking and more. It’s really ecletic — any page will surprise you.”

Amoruso gives us a sneak peek.

How is “Nasty Galaxy” different from traditional coffee table books?
It’s not simply a photo book or a retrospective of my brand. It’s like a personal journal that builds on what I established with “#Girlboss,” which celebrates strong women. It’s something you can read more than the average coffee table, but it’s also something that you can pick up and not be intimidated by. It’s not a book you have to commit yourself to. I don’t want to call this a coffee table book, but it’s beautiful enough to be one.

What are some examples of essays you’ll find in the book?
There are a couple pages on love, how I think about that word, how I think about relationships today. There’s also a bit about being right, and why being right is actually kind of boring. You don’t get to learn anything when you’re correct — when you’re wrong, you get to learn things. I’m really transparent about a lot of things, which is fun for people since it makes them feel less weird to know that they’re not the only ones.

Why did you decide to write a second book?
“#Girlboss” was my story,and it was like a business book meets a self-help book meets entertainment. “Nasty Galaxy” is the same voice and the same spirit, but it’s really visual. I’m a visual person — I’ve built a very visual brand. I love design, I love interiors and I love music. While those things can seem superficial, they really add up to what is my world. I wanted to have fun and create something really beautiful that still has a lot of substance.

How did Courtney Love end up writing the foreward?
I’ve been a fan of Courtney’s for a long time. We did a collaboration with her in January of this year. It sold out really quickly. She’s an outspoken woman with a really singular vision, voice and style. Her style has influenced so many designers in luxury and beyond. She is someone who really knows her s— when it comes to fashion. She’s lived a full life and made her own mistakes. That’s very much what Nasty Gal is about. While we’re really different people, there’s a kinship there that makes her perfect for the brand, and someone I feel lucky to call my friend.

How would you describe the ethos of the Nasty Gal brand?
We want to arm girls with the tools they need to feel like they can take on the world. We want to be the spark. There’s a spirit to Nasty Gal that’s really warm and approachable. We want girls to see themselves in the life they want to have, and we want to arm them with whatever they need to go out and achieve that. Often, that starts with getting dressed in the morning. What we put on to start our day can seem superficial, but it can really color how we feel about ourselves. And it’s something we have to do every day, so there’s no reason it shouldn’t be something that we take as seriously as what we put in our bodies, or what we choose to do with our time. In taking the time to be deliberate and choosing who you’re going to be for the day, it’s like a promise to your future. Nasty Gal is really about choosing your future, and not letting life choose it for you.

What’s your biggest piece of advice to women?
Patience is a virtue, and life’s a marathon, not a race. That’s a really hard thing to understand in your 20s and even your 30s. Everything works out as it should, but you should also constantly be looking around the corner for the opportunities that are latent and waiting for you, because they’re everywhere.​

If you go:
Tuesday, October 4: Barnes & Noble Union Square
33 E 17th Street, New York NY
7 PM

Wednesday, October 5: Villain
50 N 3rd Street, Brooklyn NY
7 PM
$40, wordbookstores.com

Thursday, October 20: Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn NY
7:30PM,eventbrite.com

Follow Chloe Tsang on Twitter @itschloet