“When I choose clothes to present in my shops, I look for creative energy, savoir-faire, and a story to tell. I love it when a designer evokes the artisanal traditions of a country.” Marie Gas knows what she's talking about: energy, creation, and savoir-faire are the fairy godmothers that hovered over her childhood as she grew up surrounded by the pearls, feathers, and shells in her father's Marseille workshop. Her father is none other than André Gas, the founder of the Gas Bijoux brand, and she now serves as the company's artistic director. “After studying law and taking a few excursions to the United States, I preferred to join my father and help him open his first accessories and clothing boutique in Paris… I quickly discovered the joy of curating a shop's selection.” At the time, concept stores were not widespread, and the trend was towards minimalist, dark collections. Black was everywhere. The first BY MARIE store arrived in the French capital like a ray of sunshine. The colorful, luminous, and sunny-chic line was unlike anything else on offer. Over the years, Marie continued to refine her vision of fashion, and soon an absolutely unique identity took shape. “I look for rarity, refinement, and originality. When I like something, it's intuitive and immediate!” Marie frequents the fashion shows and salons in her search for new ideas, but she also relies on life's surprises and chance encounters. “I traveled a lot at one time. Today, it's less important. A lot of designers come to France. Now, it's the brands that come to me!” Paris, Marseille, Saint-Tropez… each boutique is different, but you will always find talented designers such as Mira Mikati, Isabel Marant Étoile, Ulla Johnson, Harris Wharf London, Michel Vivien, Lutz Morris, or Yvonne S, as well as jewelry pieces made by Dorette or Marie Lichtenberg. In Saint-Tropez, it was 15 years ago that BY MARIE took up residence on the Place de la Garonne next to the Gas Bijoux boutique. This location features a more summery selection. “The state of mind is ‘buy now, wear now’, we're focused on the ultra-desirable, on moments of spontaneity. I think it's wonderful to offer collections that you can wear right away. Saint-Tropez is very fashionable. Here, I embrace a little more fantasy.” The village of Saint-Tropez plays a special role in the Gas family history seeing as André opened his first jewelry shop here 50 years ago. This deep connection remains important for Marie: “I go for the opening of each season. It's an important event for me.”