How Hollywood fell for Jacques Marie Mage
The first thing you notice about a pair of Jacques Marie Mage sunglasses is that they look expensive. The frames are paperweight thick, a bit architectural; the lenses are often tinted, perfect for wearing inside a dimly lit Manhattan bar, which is where you’ll often find them. During a recent visit to New York, I noticed that an essential part of the city’s creative-director uniform was a pair of JMM shades that cost as much as a nice holiday.
Founder Jerome Mage, a 50-year-old French expat in Los Angeles, calls them “objects with a soul”. He launched the company in 2014 after years spent designing action-sport goggles for companies including Burton and Spy. His creations are worn by Jeff Goldblum, Austin Butler and Jeremy Strong, and he has collaborated with Hollywood and occasional Esquire stylist George Cortina, as well as the estate of Stanley Kubrick. A pair typically runs for around £600-£800, but can go north of £1,000 for special releases.
“I have never put on a pair of sunglasses that had the same gravitas and weight,” says Chris Black, a consultant and podcast host who splits his time between New York and LA and favours the “Dealan” in black or tortoiseshell. “The prices are insane, but you’re not going to find anything better, so it feels like good value.”
Despite the prices, JMM owners can become fiercely loyal to the brand, as Black demonstrates: “I had a pair stolen from my car in Los Angeles. I went the next day to get a replacement.”
Each pair is handmade in Japan using analogue machinery from the World War II era, requiring 300 separate steps throughout a production process that can last up to 18 months. Even the box is highly considered, and sprayed with a sig
