Meet the Founder of Lisa Says Gah, the Insta-Famous Shop With a Fashion Girl Following

Lisa Bühler started her e-commerce site in 2015 with a distinct point of view and a saying—the exclamatory “Gah!” that encapsulates the excitement of discovering something new or finding that piece that you love. At the time, Lisa Says Gah was a one-woman operation, with Bühler focusing on independent, female-owned brands. She had previously worked as a buyer at Nasty Gal and was familiar with how fast fashion operates. Wanting to create a platform "that felt fashion forwards and community focused," she set out to introduce fresh labels to her audience in an approachable and informative way. Offering more than retail, she created a connection to the designers through an interview series, which showed how far a bit of storytelling can go. Soon, Lisa Says Gah became its own label as well, offering sustainably and ethically made clothes that capture the fun-loving style of the shop, which also expanded to a brick-and-mortar showroom in San Francisco, where Bühler is based.

While Bühler’s approach to curating her shop is much the same, now, Lisa Says Gah’s storytelling happens on social media where its devoted followers have become the perfect models for the store. The funky prints and fun pieces are seen on real and relatable women who have a genuine love for style. “We celebrate individuality through our customers and designers which really speaks through the clothing,” Bühler tells L’OFFICIEL. “It's really special and loud.”

It also helps that the clothes tick all the boxes when it comes to current trends. Novelty knits, sweater vests, Yin-Yang kitsch, cow print—whatever you saw that fashion girl wearing, Lisa Says Gah has it. Case in point? The Holiday the Label checkerboard print pajamas that went viral after Gigi Hadid wore them last summer to debut her baby bump. Other familiar indie names include Ganni and Paloma Wool, but there are plenty of designers you’ll probably discover for the first time while browsing through the e-shop.

With her second child on the way, Bühler has been balancing a growing family with a growing business. Lisa Says Gah turns six this year and has an exciting rebrand on the horizon. Here, L’OFFICIEL picks Bühler’s brain about running a sustainable fashion company and her advice for female business owners.

L'OFFICIEL: How has your business evolved since you launched Lisa Says Gah?

Lisa Bühler: The evolution has been steady. I worked with what I had to get to where we were headed as a self-funded business that started with a credit card. Last year [2020], was our biggest growth year with online shopping acceleration and everyone shifting their values with shopping. Our team has grown a lot. It was me for a long time with freelancers, but the team doubled in the last year. We have 10 employees, so not a lot but we are looking to expand and hire more this year. 

L'O: On top of supporting small, female-owned businesses you made sustainability a priority. What motivated that aspect of your business?

LB: I came from fast fashion so I know it can be excessive, although back in 2010 no one was really talking about fast fashion. It was all about Zara and H&M, and finding good fashion deals. I think we all learned a lot in the last decade with the impact it's had. What was important to me was to shed a spotlight on these brands that were exciting for me. We did start at a price point that was really high, like Maryam Nassir Zadeh, and I knew [sustainability] was our only option at that point. [Now it’s] great to have a broad opening price point and still capture sustainability. It's also great to know where your product is coming from and who the designers are. The designers are really relatable to our customers because they are running their own business, they are doing a lot of the work themselves, and they are not big corporations which I think gives you a better connection to the designer. 

L'O: What inspires your personal style?

LB: I'm just absorbed by our designers. I feel like Maryam was always really inspiring because its aesthetic is elevated and casual. I really love KJP prints [editor’s note: Katherine Jean Plumb is the designer behind many of the Lisa Says Gah collection’s prints]. They’re more fun. I’ve transitioned to more prints and color.

L'O: Do you have any advice for women who want to start a business or are in the early stages of launching a company?

LB: Work with what you got to get where you're going. Start small, do the work yourself, and don't worry too much about fundraising or how you're going to do it. As you hit roadblocks you figure it out. For me, it was easier to do baby steps rather than having a big plan and thinking five years down the line. It always has me surprised—I'm like, Oh! I've gone so far and kept on the path. Be dedicated, do it every day, and love it. If you're doing it yourself you probably already love it, so start by getting that help along the way.

L'O: How has it been balancing a business and a growing family during the pandemic?

LB: I have a 13-month-old boy and a girl due in July, so they're going to be back to back. It hasn't been too tough, but I do have help so that has been key. And a supportive husband. He’s a contractor and his business really slowed down in the pandemic, so we kind of flip-flopped. It's been nice to support each other as things change. Staying organized and getting as much assistance as possible helps. I know it's really hard for families right now, but you know, women! Always just getting it done.

L'O: What's coming up next for Lisa Says Gah?

LB: We have a rebrand launching in April—a fresh new site, new logo. It's been in the works for months and months. It's going to be more polished and so beautiful, and the team has worked so hard in curating everything. I just want the site and brand to reflect the growth we've had.