Part Fantasy, All Function

It's okay, you can say it: they are fat and that’s a large part of what makes them beautiful. "It creates a certain physicality when you touch the frame, you connect with the luxury of it," Jerome Mage has said of his iconic JMM frames, which are part fan­tasy, but all function. When you put on a pair, each style made in limited editions, you elevate your day; it's like driving a vintage Porsche or rocking a moon landing Omega watch. And you pay for the privilege, which is also an important part of the experience. "Rather than spend money on something of poorer standards multiple times, isn't it better to buy something of quality one time, something that is made with such nobility. Something that you can repolish and make brand new in 30 years?"

Online orders

Mage was born into an affluent middle class family in a town in the middle of France, the son of a doctor (father) and school director (mother). His love affair with glasses started at the age of 10, when his older brother came home wearing a pair of Vuarnets, which were, back then, the coolest glasses on Earth. He fled to Paris when he was 15, studied art, and then attended design school. As a member in good standing of Generation X, he was inspired by all things surf, skate, snowboard, and motocross, so he headed west, to California. He moved to San Diego in 1990 to work for SPY optics, at the time, a leader in the field. He then built and ran his own company, designing thou­sands of products, which included a 15-year account with Burton Snowboards. That's when he realized his professional passion was eyewear. 

Cancellation

“When I started, people didn't like the name of the company, people didn't think there was a need for bold, sculptural, incredibly made glasses at a high price-point. I got zero money in terms of investment, so my marketing was very simple – I asked a couple of my photographer friends for some help. We tend to collaborate with personalities. I think people connect sunglasses with personalities, right? If I say Jack Nicholson or John Lennon, you have an idea of the glasses they were wearing. Instead of collaborating with brands, I always felt it was better collaborating with iconic personalities. Dennis Hopper was so much more than just an actor. Hunter S. Thompson was more than a writer. One of the things we've thrived on since the beginning is making people curious again. There's such a lack of curiosity because everything is so flat. We tell stories with these frames and my hope is that we can inspire others to be curious.