Where Luxury Fashion, Lifestyle and Music Meet in Austin, Texas.
Austin has long been a magnet for creatives of all types. Musicians have flocked to the city for decades, lured by the legacy of the “Live Music Capital.” Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams, Spoon and Gary Clark Jr. all have Austin roots. It’s the place where Gary Clark Jr. started out playing and singing with his sisters at family events, and went on to win four Grammys. It’s where artist and musician Daniel Johnston painted the legendary “Hi, How Are You” mural on the side of a record store in 1993, and through several changes of ownership, it’s still visible today.
Austin is a city that boasts music, food, and style that is uniquely Austin. From swimming holes, barbeque, bats under the Congress Ave bridge, and queso, the city is rich in all the ways that count, including a vibrant music and fashion scene.
Music and fashion are inextricably intertwined. From Graham Parsons’ legendary Nudie suit to the White Stripes strict color code of red and white, artists express themselves visually as much as they do through their music. ByGeorge president Molly Nutter says “Music and style go hand in hand. Musicians come to shop and hang out. They buy clothes for their tour, but also for their everyday lives. They’re part of the fabric of the city.”
Molly Nutters of ByGeorge is always dressed for the party.
Molly spent more than 20 years at what was then the arbiter of fashion, Barneys New York, before moving to Austin to take the reins at ByGeorge in 2019. Her championing of independent brands and eye for well made, talented design made her the perfect fit to usher in the next evolution of the store.
Having spent time in Austin over the years, Molly was already dialed into the local lifestyle. She says, “People in Austin have the most amazing style. It’s not a city where people emulate what they see on the catwalk. It’s a city of personal style. People do their own thing.”
ByGeorge doesn’t necessarily subscribe to trends. Molly explains, “One of the things we pride ourselves on is being a place where people can find stylish things that are also timeless. It has nothing to do with something being quiet and minimal or eccentric and wild. Whatever that thing is - there’s someone talented designing it, it’s well made, and can stand the test of time.”
Curated selection of women’s fashion finds displayed for shopping at ByGeorge.
ByGeorge keeps Austinites plugged into what’s happening in fashion. An institution in the city for nearly 45 years, the store has expanded to two stores in Austin and one in New Orleans.
The shelves and racks at the shop showcase a thoughtfully curated selection of new talent and established fashion houses, as well as homeware, beauty products, books… and now music, in the form of vinyl spinning on Wrensilva record consoles.
The collaboration with Wrensilva was a natural fit. Molly says, “As soon as I saw the photos of the consoles, I was intrigued. Then I heard the story behind the high level of craftsmanship, not just of the console itself, but also the audio side with the turntable, and I knew that our customers would be interested. Whether it's a watch, furniture or clothes, ByGeorge customers seek out the best, most beautifully made, qualitative version of that product that they can. They want the thing that not everyone has. They’re not followers. They want to be first.”
ByGeorge is the first retail outlet to have a Wrensilva in-store. Launching this week during South By Southwest, the consoles will be in place through April, in conjunction with a photography installation at both Austin stores. Proceeds from the sale of photographs will benefit Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM), a local organization providing affordable healthcare for Austin musicians. Records by the artists in the photographs are on deck for store staff to play on the Wrensilva HiFi record console.
ByGeorge is more than just a fashion store and Wrensilva is far more than a stereo system. Both exude a lifestyle for people who truly appreciate design - from their homes, to how they dress, what they listen to, and where they travel.
Austin is a city where, “You get the whole “Texas” thing,” Molly explains, “but you also get the beautiful hills and old oak and pecan trees… and then you find queso and it’s all over.”
Talking Heads 'Once in a Lifetime' launched February 2, 1981.
The music that most impacted Molly’s life: Talking Heads. She says, “I have such a visceral memory of hearing ‘Once in a Lifetime.’ Hearing the Talking Heads cracked my head wide open and I started expanding my brain to listen to different types of music.”
Molly’s favorite record stores in Austin are Waterloo and End of an Ear. ByGeorge’s Lamar location is right across the street from Waterloo. You can stop in at ByGeorge to listen to a Wrensilva in action, then walk over to Waterloo and get lost in the vinyl selection or take a quick drive to End of an Ear.
Visit Wrensilva at ByGeorge in Austin, TX now through April.
Wrensilva The Standard playing Gary Clark Jr. at Sound & Vision event in ByGeorge.