For Lisa Bühler, a great outfit should inspire an immediate reaction—ideally, a “Gah!” As the founder of California-based fashion brand Lisa Says Gah, she has spent the past 11 years building a colorful world around that very feeling. Lisa Says Gah (LSG) began as an online destination for independent designers and has evolved into a beloved label of its own, and brought back the joy of shopping IRL with brick-and-mortar locations in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley and Los Angeles’ Echo Park.
We caught up with the founder to talk about 11 years in business, creating stores with personality, staying inspired in an industry driven by trends, and why a little joy never goes out of style.
Happy 11 Year Anniversary! Going back to the early days of the brand, what sparked the idea for Lisa Says Gah?
Thank you! Lisa Says Gah started from a pretty simple idea. I had spent years working in fashion and loved discovering independent designers, but there wasn’t one place that brought together all of the cool brands I was constantly telling my friends about. I wanted to create that destination. It began as an online shop highlighting designers I genuinely loved, and over time it naturally evolved into creating our own collection inspired by that same spirit of creativity, individuality, and self-expression.
How did you come up with the name?
I quite literally say “Gah!” when something really excites me. I’m naturally a little more reserved, so fashion, travel, art, and design have always been how I express that more whimsical side of myself.
I originally started Lisa Says Gah as a creative blog where I shared the things that inspired me. When Instagram launched, it became my handle, and when I started the business, the name just stuck. To me, “Gah!” is that spontaneous reaction when you discover something you instantly love, and that’s exactly the feeling I hope people have when they discover our brand.
What has been the most rewarding part about building this business?
Honestly, having a fun job. I get to meet inspiring people, travel, collaborate with creatives, and spend days on photo shoots bringing ideas to life. I never take that for granted.
Just as rewarding has been building a community around the brand. Seeing people wear Lisa Says Gah and make it part of their lives is something I’ll never stop appreciating.
Tell us about the two retail locations. How did you decide on each location?
San Francisco will always be home for Lisa Says Gah, so opening our Hayes Valley store felt like coming full circle. It’s where the brand was built and where so many longtime customers live.
Echo Park was a natural next step because our team had already grown in Los Angeles, and the neighborhood has the same creative, independent energy that drew me to Hayes Valley. Both communities really value discovering something unique and supporting independent businesses.
We’d love to know about the design choices in each. Did you want each to have their own identity, or are they intended to be an extension of the brand at large?
Definitely an extension of the brand. We worked with designer Adi Goodrich on both spaces, so they share the same playful, colorful point of view while each responding to its own neighborhood. We think of them as sister stores.
We carried through our signature palette, including our pasta yellow and Golden Gate red, along with custom fixtures, vintage finds, and plenty of unexpected details. We wanted the spaces to feel warm, creative, and a little whimsical, like stepping inside the world of Lisa Says Gah rather than just another clothing store.
What is the retail experience for guests? How do you want the LSG shopper to feel when they visit the stores?
We want people to slow down and have fun. Shopping should feel inspiring, not intimidating. We hope people leave feeling like they discovered something unexpected, chatted with someone, and found a piece that feels like them.
With fashion trends constantly evolving, how have you stayed true to the LSG aesthetic?
We pay attention to what’s happening culturally, but we always filter it through our own point of view. If it doesn’t feel expressive, wearable, and something we’d genuinely love ourselves, we don’t make it. I’d rather create pieces people wear for years than something that feels over a month later.
What has been the hardest lesson learned as an entrepreneur?
That growth doesn’t solve every problem. Every stage of the business brings a completely new set of challenges. I’ve learned that building the right team, protecting your creativity, and staying close to your customers matter far more than chasing growth for its own sake. I’ve also learned that resilience is probably the most important skill an entrepreneur can develop.
What’s next for the brand?
We’re excited to continue growing our collection, telling more stories through events and collaborations, and creating products that feel even more special. We’re also always dreaming about new retail opportunities. More than anything, I want Lisa Says Gah to continue being a place where creativity in fashion lives and where people come not just to shop, but to feel inspired.
