Jacques Marie Mage store by SIMPLICITY

Its name is unmistakably French, but the eyewear brand is Los Angeles-based, while the coveted merchandise in manufactured in Italy and Japan. We’re talking Jacques Marie Mage, the cult luxury eyewear brand, founded only in 2014 by Auvergne-born designer Jérôme Mage, which has since garnered an ever-expanding global fanbase. It seemed fitting only for the brand to have a retail space, or rather, ‘gallery’, in Jacques Marie Mage parlance, in a highly discerning market as Japan – as said, part of the eyewear range is crafted there – and as of late, that became a reality. Hot on the heels of a store opening in Paris, the very first in Mage’s native France, his company has inaugurated a plush flagship store just off prestigious Omotesando dori in Tokyo. Tucked away in an area of winding alleyways lined with high-end boutiques, the Jacques Marie Mage store occupies a newly built, three-storey structure, featuring an interior design by Shinichiro Ogata, the founder of SIMPLICITY, a design practice based in Tokyo and Paris.

The sumptuous premises honour Japanese traditions and style, while also subtly blending in Western elements and artefacts, creating intricately layered, cosmopolitan yet homey settings that makes one marvel, and it starts right at the entrance. Here, an understated mini corridor unfolds, featuring wall-embedded displays, cabinets, walls, flooring and ceiling, all crafted from Hinoki wood, while calligrapher Daichiro Shinjo‘s bold contemporary artwork serves as a backdrop. The upper floor is home to a lounge-inspired consultation room, captured by the same material, while also decorated with vintage furniture and distinctive Japanese art and crafts, such as a six-panel folding screen from the late Edo period and a collection of exquisite Noh masks. In an adjacent room, a large-sized bookcase is paired with even more artefacts. Here, jewellery pieces are showcased and custom pieces can be ordered. Last but not least, there’s the basement, which comes with a beautifully landscaped patio, and houses a welcoming bar, adorned with a backdrop of 17th-century European optical tools, Kokeshi dolls, and an even larger calligraphy by Shinjo. © superfuture