Gayla Bentley saw a big problem in fashion. Many women wear sizes 12 and up. But most stores do not sell stylish clothes for them. Women wanted fashionable outfits. But the market ignored them. Gayla wanted to change that. She created Gayla Bentley Fashion. Her brand focuses on plus-size women. She made stylish and high-quality clothes. She wanted every woman to feel beautiful.
Gayla entered Shark Tank in Season 1. She asked for $250,000. She offered 20% of her company. She planned to open a physical store. She wanted to expand her business. The sharks listened. Some doubted if plus-size fashion could be profitable. Others believed in her vision. Will the entrepreneur get a deal on Shark Tank? Check out Gayla Bentley’s Fashion update to find out!
Gayla Bentley Fashion Net Worth Shark Tank Update 2025
Gayla Bentley went on Shark Tank asking for $250,000 for 20% of her company. This meant she thought her business was worth $1,250,000. She secured a deal with Daymond John & Barbara Corcoran of $250,000 for 50%, which lowered the value of the company to $500,000. The episode aired on October 13, 2009. The company later shut down in 2018 and is no longer active. Therefore, the current net worth of Gayla Bentley Fashion is $0 in 2025.
Gayla got a deal. She got $250,000. She partnered with Barbara and Daymond. She was excited. She wanted to take her brand to the next level. After the show, things looked good. Gayla’s brand got into Neiman Marcus. This was a big achievement. She also expanded to boutiques. Her clothes were sold in the US, Canada, and the UK.
But problems started. Gayla struggled with business growth. She did not have enough experience. Managing a large fashion brand was hard. Sales slowed down. Her online presence became inconsistent. Then disaster struck. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey hit Houston. Gayla’s facilities were flooded. She lost a lot of inventory. The damage was too much. She could not recover.
By 2018 Gayla Bentley Fashion shut down. The business was over. Gayla did not give up. She moved into consulting. She now helps companies with fashion and style.
Yes. Gayla got a deal on Shark Tank. She asked for $250,000 for 20% equity. The sharks had different opinions. Kevin O’Leary did not invest. He thought the business was too risky. Kevin Harrington also backed out. He was not sure if he would make a profit. Robert Herjavec did not invest either. He had no experience in fashion. Daymond John saw potential.
He understood fashion. He believed in Gayla. He offered $250,000 for 50% equity. He wanted Barbara to join him. Barbara liked the idea. She agreed. Gayla wanted to keep control. She tried to lower the equity to 45%. But Daymond assured her. He said they would work together. In the end, Gayla accepted. She walked away with a deal.
| Shark(s) name | Offer & Demand | Counteroffer | Accepted? |
| Robert Herjavec | out | N/A | N/A |
| Barbara Corcoran | $250,000 for 50% equity | $250,000 for 45% equity instead of 50%. | Yes |
| Kevin O’Leary | Out | N/A | N/A |
| Daymond John | $250,000 for 50% equity | $250,000 for 45% equity instead of 50%. | Yes |
| Kevin Harrington | Out | N/A | N/A |
Gayla Bentley Fashion Shark Tank pitch
Gayla Bentley loved fashion. She had a passion for design. But she noticed a problem. Women who wore sizes 12 and up had few options. Most fashion brands ignored them. She knew this was unfair. Gayla wanted to make a difference. She decided to create a fashion line. She focused on plus-size women. She wanted to give them stylish options. Her brand would provide high-quality clothes.
She believed every woman deserved to look and feel great. Starting the business was not easy. She had to design clothes that fit well. She had to find good materials. She also needed the right team. She worked hard. She launched her brand. She sold her clothes online. The response was great. Women loved her designs. Her sales reached $500,000 a year.
But she wanted to grow. She wanted a store. She needed money to expand. That is why she went on Shark Tank. She needed investors. She believed they could help her take the business to the next level.
Gayla entered the Shark Tank with confidence. She was excited. She was ready to pitch her business. She started by explaining the problem. Most stores did not sell stylish plus-size clothes. Many women felt left out. Gayla wanted to change that. She created a fashion line for them. Her clothes were stylish. They were high quality. They were made for real women. She asked for $250,000.
She offered 20% equity. She planned to use the money to open a store. She wanted to expand. She wanted to reach more women. The sharks listened. Some were unsure. They did not know if plus-size fashion was profitable. But others believed in her. Gayla showed them samples. She explained her business model. She had strong sales. But she needed help to grow. The sharks had questions. They wanted to understand her vision. The sharks had many questions. They wanted to know more. They were curious.
Kevin O’Leary asked about sales. He wanted numbers. He wanted to know if the business was making money. Gayla told him she made $500,000 a year. She sold online. Robert Herjavec asked about competition. He wanted to know if other brands were doing the same. Gayla explained. Many brands ignored plus-size women. There was a big gap in the market. Kevin Harrington asked about marketing.
He wanted to know how she got customers. Gayla said women found her online. They loved her designs. They shared her brand with others. Daymond John asked about materials. He wanted to know about quality. Gayla said her clothes were made from the best fabrics. They were comfortable. They were stylish. Barbara Corcoran asked about pricing.
She wanted to know if women could afford it. Gayla explained. Her clothes were high-end. They were for women who wanted luxury. The sharks kept asking. They wanted to understand everything.
The sharks had mixed opinions. Some were interested. Some were not.
Kevin O’Leary was not convinced. He did not think plus-size fashion was a big market. He dropped out. Kevin Harrington did not invest. He was unsure about making a profit. Robert Herjavec also dropped out. He did not know enough about fashion.
Barbara Corcoran believed in the idea. She liked Gayla’s passion. But she wanted a partner. Daymond John knew fashion. He saw potential. He made an offer. $250,000 for 50% equity. He wanted Barbara to join. She agreed. Gayla hesitated. She wanted 45% equity. But Daymond reassured her. He said they would work together. In the end, Gayla accepted. She got the deal.
What Went Wrong With Gayla Bentley Fashion On Shark Tank?
Gayla got a deal. But things didn’t go as planned. She struggled with business growth. She did not have enough experience. She found it hard to scale. Sales slowed down. The online store became inconsistent. She had trouble managing everything. Then disaster struck. Hurricane Harvey flooded her facilities. She lost inventory. The damage was too much. She could not recover. By 2018 the business shut down. It was over.
Product Availability
Gayla’s fashion line focuses on plus-size women. She made stylish clothes. She used high-quality materials. She wanted every woman to feel beautiful. She sold dresses. She sold jackets. She sold tops. Her designs were elegant. They were made for women who wanted luxury. She started online. Later, she got into Neiman Marcus. She expanded to boutiques.
Her clothes were sold in the US, Canada, and the UK. But the business did not last. In 2018, it shut down. Today, her clothes are no longer available. Gayla now works as a fashion consultant. She helps companies with style.
Conclusion
Gayla Bentley had a great idea. She wanted to help plus-size women. She made stylish clothes. She believed every woman deserved fashion. She got a deal on Shark Tank. She partnered with Barbara and Daymond. She grew her brand. She got into Neiman Marcus. But things went wrong. Business was hard. Sales slowed down. Then Hurricane Harvey hit.
Her facilities were destroyed. She could not recover. By 2018 the business closed. But Gayla did not give up. She now works as a consultant. She helps companies with fashion and style. Her journey had ups and downs. But she kept going. She found a new path.

Hi, I’m Laiba Khurram, a BBA student specializing in Marketing at FAST NUCES ISB. My background includes experience in finance, marketing, and event coordination. My skills include teamwork, time management, and Microsoft tools. Watching Shark Tank has always inspired me, as I admire the innovative pitches and entrepreneurial spirit showcased on the show. This passion drives my approach to finding creative solutions and understanding market dynamics. Read more About me.








