How BY Marie Selects its Designers: The Method of an Exceptional Curator
In 1999, Marie Gas opened her first multi-brand boutique in Paris. She is not a stylist, nor a fashion designer. She is a curator: a treasure hunter who knows how to recognize, before anyone else, what will matter.
Twenty-five years later, BY Marie has several boutiques in Paris, Marseille, and Saint-Tropez, and an e-shop that ships worldwide. The question everyone asks : fashion journalists, loyal customers, designers who dream of being featured remains the same:
How does Marie Gas know what she's looking for, and how does she find it?
Here, for the first time, is a detailed answer.
1. Rarity as an absolute compass
The primary selection criterion at BY Marie is not price, nor notoriety, nor even aesthetics. It is rarity.
Marie Gas has always stated it clearly: she wants her clients to find something no one else has. This is not a marketing stance; it is a deep conviction about what it means to dress with intention.
Concretely, this immediately excludes brands distributed in hundreds of points of sale, collections that reproduce current trends without offering a unique perspective, and designers whose commercial success has ultimately diluted their creative identity. Conversely, brands featured at BY Marie for years, such as Ulla Johnson, Forte Forte, or Wandler, all meet this criterion: they have a recognizable universe, defended over the long term, without ever trying to please everyone.
"Rarity is what gives value to a garment. It's not the price; it's the fact that you don't see it everywhere."
2. A commitment to craftsmanship
BY Marie doesn't just select clothes. She selects wearable objects made with care.
Craftsmanship is the second pillar of the Gas method. Every piece that enters the boutiques must be able to answer a simple question: who made it, and how? This translates into particular attention to the quality of raw materials: cashmere, linen, natural silks, fine leathers using artisanal manufacturing techniques, and sustainability designed from conception. A BY Marie piece must transcend seasons.
It is for this reason that the BY Marie Collection, the in-house line designed by Marie Gas herself, systematically relies on noble materials crafted in small series. Cashmere is the most emblematic example: handmade in Nepal in a workshop primarily composed of women, it is chosen for its durability as much as for its incomparable feel.
3. A genuine creative viewpoint, not just a trend
Marie Gas is wary of brands that follow. She seeks those that lead.
In her selection process, she systematically distinguishes between two types of designers. On one hand, trend followers: they interpret what large groups will launch in 18 months and adapt it. Their work is often refined, but interchangeable. On the other hand, visionaries: they have an obsession : a color, a material, a silhouette, a relationship to the body and they defend it collection after collection, even when it's not in vogue. These designers build a universe. And a universe fosters loyalty.
BY Marie works exclusively with the second category. This explains the longevity of collaborations: when a brand enters the selection, it often stays there for years, sometimes decades.
"I look for a brand that brings something new and has the potential to last. Not a brand that copies, not a brand that follows."
4. On-site sourcing as a method
Contrary to what one might imagine, sourcing for BY Marie is not done from a Parisian office by scrolling Instagram.
Marie Gas travels. Always. Her calendar includes fashion weeks in Paris, New York, London, and Milan, trade shows, independent showrooms—which are increasingly replacing traditional appointments and especially her personal travels, which are never entirely separate from her work. A meeting in Tokyo, a boutique in Mexico City, an artisan encountered in Lisbon , anything can become a source of discovery.
It is this physical presence, this refusal to delegate the act of seeing and touching, that differentiates BY Marie from multi-brand platforms that source remotely. You cannot feel a piece from a product sheet.
5. Overall coherence: the alchemy of brands
Selecting a brand at BY Marie doesn't just mean validating a piece. It means deciding how it will coexist with all the others.
Brands should not compete with each other in the boutique. Each must have its place, its role, its own energy. In practice, an excellent brand might not be selected if it duplicates another, or if it disrupts the atmosphere of the space. This is where curation becomes an art in itself: no longer a succession of good individual choices, but a global composition where each element serves the others.
"The ambiance is as important as the pieces. A boutique is a universe. If a brand breaks that universe, even if it's beautiful, it doesn't belong."
The BY Marie Method: What fashion can learn from a curator
Rarity, craftsmanship, vision, on-site presence, coherence. These five criteria have formed Marie Gas's framework since 1999 and have not changed.
In an industry where algorithms often dictate selection, BY Marie represents something quite rare in itself: curation based on a human perspective, defended over time. Perhaps this is why BY Marie's customers : French, American, Japanese, Australian keep coming back. Not because they found what they were looking for. But because they found what they didn't know they were looking for.
FAQ
How can I propose my brand to BY Marie?
BY Marie does not communicate an official application procedure. Selection remains based on direct discovery at trade shows, showrooms, or during travels. The best approach for a designer is to build a strong and coherent identity and to be visible in the spaces where Marie Gas looks for new talent.
What types of designers does BY Marie select?
BY Marie selects both emerging designers and established brands, provided they share the same values: rarity, craftsmanship, and an authentic creative viewpoint. Nationality or brand size are not determining factors.
Are the selection criteria the same for the physical store and the e-shop?
Yes. The online selection reflects exactly the same philosophy as the physical boutiques. The e-shop is not an outlet or a secondary showcase; it is an extension of the concept store, with the same editorial standards.
Does BY Marie only work with French brands? No. While BY Marie has historically contributed to launching French brands, its selection is international. The priority is quality and creative vision, regardless of the designer's geographical origin.