As the city livens up for summer, there’s no neighborhood buzzier than SoHo. On Thursday, it was particularly jam-packed for the opening of Jacques Marie Mage’s highly anticipated ‘gallery’ on Wooster Street. For the evening, the brand offered friends, artists, and entertainers a glimpse inside its universe: a space where chrome cabinetry, zebra-print lounge chairs, and an oversized wolf skull sculpture by Quentin Garel all intermingle seamlessly.
As guests acquainted themselves with the three-story space, they were offered Krug bubbles, caviar-topped blinis, German-imported pickles, and Hibiki by waiters sporting (or some would say modeling) the brand’s sunglasses. While exploring, attendees had the chance to test out the frames—many consulting friends to help narrow down a favorite—and get an up-close look at the gallery’s curation of leather goods, jewelry, ceramics, and artifacts. “I want this space to be a reminder to pursue beauty,” Jérôme Mage, founder of Jacques Marie Mage, told Vogue. “Beauty is robust and individualistic, and it’s a rebellious act to push away from the norm. This is a reminder to not be afraid to explore what you find beautiful.”
Once warmed up with Champagne, guests gathered around Mage at the bison skull on the lower level as he shared snippets of inspiration for the space (“nature is the ultimate luxury”) and more about the brand’s decade-long partnership with Yellowstone National Park. He also invited guests to look up at the eagle’s beak sculpture hanging from the ceiling, reiterating these sculptures as tributes to the park’s key species.
“There’s a duality between the wolf and the bison,” he shared with the crowd. “They’ve been friends and foes for millions of years, and I think New York City is a bit like that. You have to survive both the highs and the lows—and we’ve done our best to bring that duality inside.”
Mage then introduced Doug Smith, a wildlife biologist who led the reintroduction of the first gray wolf into Yellowstone in 1995. Smith implored guests to consider the natural world beyond humanity, before sharing a stanza from poet Robert Service and setting the stage for the evening’s final guest.
By then, it was time for the one-and-only Patti Smith—singer, songwriter, local icon, and a longtime collaborator of the brand. Accompanied by guitarist Tony Shanahan, Smith performed three of her most beloved songs: People Have the Power, Ghost Dance, and Because the Night. As she swayed passionately and raised her hands to the beat, guests, including Grace Gummer, Mark Ronson, and Collier Schorr, were completely enamored, clapping and singing along with every word.
When Smith cheered “the night belongs to New York!” for her final chord, the crowd burst into rapturous applause. “It’s very helpful when the people give their energy and sing with you,” Smith told Vogue afterwards. “My collaboration with Jacques Marie Mage has always been about friendship, and everyone here offered that to me tonight.”
After Smith’s performance, people spilled across both floors, humming her melodies while lingering over a last pour of Hibiki. As the night wound down, they filtered out onto Wooster Street, bringing along their Champagne glasses for a cheeky cigarette. They departed with Jacques Marie Mage goodie bags in hand—inside, a coffee table book by the sculptor, so they could bring a part of the gallery back home into their own spaces too.
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