When I began selling vintage online nearly two years ago, I was faced with a task that every business owner encounters: finding a name for their business. For me, it was important to choose a name that represented an attitude as well as an aesthetic. The easy route would have been to hop on the hippie bandwagon and name it something sweet–but I felt that approach was just a little too familiar, and much softer than what I was going for.

I used to spend a lot of time collecting hard-to-find records, and unearthing unpopular or otherwise rare music that had fallen under the radar–sometimes for decades. I consulted my library for inspiration, and after little time I’d settled on the name of funkstress Betty Davis’ hard-hitting third album, NASTY GAL.

Once the wife of musician Miles Davis and an ex-runway model, she was a true sex symbol. Her lyrics were unabashedly raunchy and sex-drenched, and were accompanied by one of the the best rhythm sections of the era (or ever, for that matter). To put it shortly: she’s good stuff. Need proof?

“She was the first Madonna. But Madonna is more like Marie Osmond when compared to Betty Davis.” -Carlos Santana

It’s true.

xx
Sophia