“I think The Velvet Underground is more than just music, they are pop culture,” stated [Jacques Marie Mage](https://jacquesmariemage.com/home/) founder and creative director, Jerome Mage. The signature Velvet Underground & Nico vinyl was spun and cocktails harmoniously accompanied hands throughout the [Fred Segal Sunset](https://www.fredsegal.com) store. The celebrated occasion? Acknowledging the launch of Jerome Jacque Marie Mage’s sunglasses range inspired by the 60s rock band, The Velvet Underground. Jacques Marie Mage prioritizes eyewear that is framed in personable passion and drawing functionality. Considering that The Velvet Underground’s band member, John Cale, embodies the modern renaissance man, donning sunglasses that emanate the elegant ‘I don’t care look’’. He became the ideal muse for the collection. Jacques Marie Mage curates excellency with each pair of sunglasses. They are the ones you reach for before you had a double shot of espresso and the ones that you reach for in your car when the California sun is in your eyeline. Sunglasses are Jerome Mage’s artistic instrument of choice, where he can streamline his passions into a compelling, tangible object.
Courtesy of Jacques Marie Mage
**In a genre where there is an abundance of bands to choose from, such as The Doors and The Rolling Stones, what made you decide to have The Velvet Underground be the image behind this new Jacques Marie Mage collaboration?**
JMM: What I’m the most attracted to are artists or bands or actors that are also influencers in their own fields. Previously, The Velvet Underground did a collaboration with Hunter Thompson and Dennis Hopper. They were all inspirational to their own fields a bit like renaissance men, they kind of changed the way actors and directors looked at movies or looked at writing. I think The Velvet Underground in a sense is in a similar position there. Of course they are a rock band but they are more than a rock band. They are a band that started more bands than any other band. They didn’t sell a lot of records per se, but they inspired so many people. So I think that’s what stood out for me about The Velvet Underground compared to The Doors or The Rolling Stones or Janis Joplin. Maybe they were more successful in commercial terms but The Velvet Underground is a band that either musicians or people that intrinsically pay attention to music know and they understand the influence, charisma, and personality. Also they were a band that was linked to Andy Warhol so they are a bit multi-disciplinary and I think Hunter S. Thompson was like that too, where he influenced not only writing but pop culture. Same thing with Dennis Hopper.
**How did you go about choosing the elements that went into this specific eyewear design?**
JMM: The bands that were in existence in the early 60s-late 70s were known for their fantastic eyewear. And I was most attracted to the frames that John Cale from The Velvet Underground was wearing so I started with John Cale. The frame that we are releasing which is called ‘White Light’ is closely inspired by the frames that John Cale was wearing in the late 60s when the band started. In terms of coloration, I was drawn to the deep blacks but soon after that I wanted colors that really evoked that time. So I went for a brown with olive lenses, we also have some more faded colors. It’s all very late-60s driven.
**I was wondering how much research did you do prior to getting the lenses developed? Were you watching any documentaries or specific The Velvet Underground performances?**
JMM: Of course, I did hours and hours of research. But it’s more so the passion that I had to get the sunglasses made, I didn’t really consider it ‘research’. It’s something that I love. I think what is very unique about Jacques Marie Mage is I feel what we do is 100% authentic, it’s things that we love and things we want to share. Whatever it is bands, artists, eyewear, we want people to discover. It seems as people are not as curious as they used to be. I’m hopeful people will rediscover The Velvet Underground’s music through our frames. I think it’s as relevant as it ever was. The look, the way they dress, the way they act, the way they lived. I’m hopeful that a new generation will see it and discover it, and most importantly be excited about it.
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