Los Angeles-based eyewear guru Jerome Mage is marking his 10th anniversary with a flurry of store openings in global fashion capitals.
Having christened Jacques Marie Mage locations — operating under the banner JMM Gallery — on Via Della Spiga in Milan last December and London’s Chiltern Street last month, he’s gearing up for Rue de la Paix in Paris next door to Tiffany’s in June, and Tokyo’s Omotesando this fall, with a location in New York’s SoHo district scheduled for the second half of 2026.
In an exclusive interview, he described physical retail as an “essential component of the intimate experience that luxury is.”
Related Articles
Mage first dipped a toe into brick-and-mortar by opening a gallery-like concept in his hometown of Los Angeles in November 2021, and confessed that “it wasn’t so evident as an independent, small retail company,” especially given how primordial e-commerce had become during the COVID-19 pandemic.
You May Also Like
However, it was a low-risk real estate opportunity with favorable rent terms, so he went for it, believing “if you occupy any part of the luxury landscape, it’s essential to have a proper address,” he said, mentioning how Chanel is synonymous with Rue Cambon, and Cartier with Rue de la Paix, for example.
“Everything I did in my career, it was proof of concept,” Mage said over coffee and croissants at Le Bristol in Paris. “So I thought, let’s see if we can have an idea of retail that could work for Jacques Marie Mage. It was really a proof-of-concept opportunity that we could not refuse.”
The brand currently operates three locations in California; in Hollywood, Costa Mesa and Venice Beach, the latter slated to relocate in 2026. Mage also plans to open a gallery in Austin before the end of the year.
Mage would not give any figures, but said all existing JMM Gallery stores are profitable, and that is the expectation of all the new locations coming on stream. He envisions a network of about 10 locations as a complement to his wholesale distribution through high-end opticians.
“Now we know where our client is, and we have a certain amount of recognition that allows us to establish a certain amount of business in all the cities,” he said.
JMM Galleries offer the brand’s limited-edition eyewear, leather goods and jewelry, along with artifacts and memorabilia.
Currently featured is the brand’s special Decade collection, honoring the anniversary, which includes some styles made out of 12-millimeter-thick cellulose acetate blocks, “which had never been done before,” according to Mage. “So something very dramatic, grandiose, extreme — a lot of physicality, incredible volumes. We worked for three years on it, because obviously, when you work with such a bold material, then you got to make sure it’s very comfortable and adequate to wear.”
He’s plotting further inroads into jewelry with a made-in-France Vendôme line to complement the range made in America, which has a Southwest sensibility. Rumor has it he’s tapping a top French talent to design it.
Mage is insistent that each JMM Gallery location has a unique atmosphere, artworks and antiques, with the Milan location blending elements of Milanese palazzos with the American Southwest. It sells Native American pottery, and displays beaded leather moccasins created by North Plains tribes.
“I find it uninteresting to duplicate the same signature over and over,” Mage said, lamenting the cookie-cutter approach of many larger luxury players. “Each store reflects a different idea, a different mood, a different neighborhood, a different city and sensibility within our world.”
One common thread, however, is furniture by Paris firm Hervet Manufacturier, which uses rare woods to craft unique seating and tables, many in organic forms.
For the London location, which opened Feb. 28 across the street from the historic Chiltern Firehouse, Mage tapped Jacques Garcia.
The French interior designer said he took inspiration from 19th-century English literature, French philosophers and British films from the 1950s “where mist is omnipresent, and of course the English taste for extremely lively woods — mahogany, for example, and strong colors.”
The store straddles a mood between Californian cool and British rock-star lair, with eyewear displayed amid vintage books and charming trinkets, like a ceramic cigar-smoking Winston Churchill.
The space’s pièce de résistance is the large-scale mural painted by artist Andy Dixon, a friend of Mage’s and a frequent collaborator of the brand.
Mage said he prizes a “sense of discovery” in his stores, which he characterizes as a gallery of collectible objects, many of them limited edition. He said a visit should surprise and “spark curiosity.
“As the person walks through the door, I very much want to capture the feeling of being invited to a beautiful dinner, not by a close friend, but an acquaintance,” he said. “It’s a chance to immerse yourself completely in our world, which is pretty unique.
“We are human and we’re always craving for that personal experience, it’s undeniable,” he continued. “It’s very hard to create intimacy on a screen.”
Mage was on his way to Brussels after Paris Fashion Week to source antiques and objects for forthcoming openings.
This fall, he also plans to introduce a custom, made-to-order service for eyewear at his Paris, London and Tokyo stores.
- With contributions from Violet Goldstone