Austin’s Premium Fashion Boutique, ByGeorge, Celebrates 45 Years of Luxury and Legacy

Let’s take a little trip back to 1979 in Austin, Texas. The Clash played at Armadillo World Headquarters, only a handful of skyscrapers dotted the downtown skyline, and the original ByGeorge store opened in Dobie Mall on the University of Texas at Austin campus. Forty-five years later, the luxury clothing retailer is celebrating its sapphire anniversary — in style, of course.

ByGeorge is an upscale fashion boutique with local outposts on South Congress and North Lamar, as well as in New Orleans. The store specializes in a mix of luxury pieces that stand the test of time from brands like Loewe, Ganni, Jacquemas and The Row. The shop also carries pieces from Texan designers, including jewelry designer Nak Armstrong, ready-to-wear brand High Sport and eyewear and jewelry brand Vada. In fact, Vada designer Katie Caplener used to work on the ByGeorge floor. Former ByGeorge owner Katie Culmo, who took over ByGeorge from its original owner and namesake, George Humphrey, and built up the brand with her husband, Matthew, asked Kaplan to source vintage jewelry for the store long before she started her own high-end brand of Japanese-crafted sunglasses.

Today, ByGeorge is owned by Larry McGuire of MML Hospitality, the managing team behind Swedish Hill, Ski Shores, Clark’s Oyster Bar and other Austin institutions. About five years ago, McGuire brought Molly Nutter on as president following her extensive experience as Vice President of Retail Merchandising at Celine and VP in the Buying Department at Barneys New York. The opportunity to work for an independent brand with intimate customer relationships — and the chance to move to Austin, a city she already loved — wooed her away from decades of working in fashion in New York City.

“At the end of the day, I love the idea of a small, independent store,” says Nutter. “I really have to have an emotional response to the integrity of the product and the design, so even if it’s something that doesn’t speak to me personally, I feel strongly about being able to stand behind what is being put out into the world.” 

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ByGeorge Editorial (Photo by Claire Schaper)

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ByGeorge Editorial (Photo by Claire Schaper)

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ByGeorge Editorial (Photo by Claire Schaper)

Nutter says ByGeorge’s concept and appeal remains the same as it stood nearly five decades ago, and that’s why it continues to thrive. 

Though ByGeorge launched e-commerce during the pandemic years, the “focus has always been on the in-store experience,” explains Nutter, and customers range from decades-long local clients to international travelers looking to mark their trip with a unique piece. 

“The general direction of how we buy and what we buy hasn’t changed — we buy clothes or jewelry or handbags that we feel will stand the test of time,” says Nutter. “We really avoid trends. When you come into the store, it’s more to experience a place where people can buy things for their day-to-day lives that are more timeless. can really be incorporated into someone’s wardrobe easily and be brought out year after year.” 

Think shift dresses, elevated sandals, knit pants, effortless sundresses — the casual chic Austin uniform looks cool while beating the heat. 

The retail scene in Austin is changing rapidly, from the expanse of the dozens of shops and restaurants that make up The Domain to Hermès setting up a telltale orange storefront on South Congress, but ByGeorge remains, even as Austin seemingly leaps into its status as a tech capital and the 10th-largest U.S. city.

“ByGeorge is known as being one of a small handful of great, independent, multi-brand retailers. The significance of being open for 45 years is poignant, especially now,” adds Nutters. “Not everyone wants to shop at a mono-brand store or a department store. We’re the brand builders, the place for customers to come and discover something new. There’s always going to be a place for small, special stores like ours.” 

Learn more or shop online at bygeorgeaustin.com.