Brunello Cucinelli Eyewear Demonstrate's Dominance of Jacque's Marie Mage

 

It's difficult to conceive the absolutely seismic impact that Jacque's Marie Mage has had on the luxury eyewear industry.  The brand has encapsulated the idea of storytelling, the mythologising of very specific artisanal manufacturing, specifically heavy Japanese acetate, and the concept of "limited editions.  It has weaponised these and created a brand which produces products that are both overwhelmingly in demand, selling out consistently, while also being astronomically priced, for example the starting price for frames is $900.00, going up to several thousand dollars.

The idea of pricey glasses isn't new.  Cartier make frames that are excessively priced as routine.  However the manufactured image JMM has fostered allows them to dominate the marketplace.  Whether you know it or not you have seen your favourite celebrity wearing this stealth wealth yet loud brand. With an example of how extraordinary their popularity is being the period movie, Babylon, starring Brad Pitt, set in 1920's Hollywood, where Pitt insisted on using his JMM Zepherin glasses, despite the brand only having launched in 2014 nearly 100 years after the period the film is supposed to be set within.

It's often said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but more often than not in consumer goods, it reflects a desire to capture a market that has moved in a given direction.  And unquestionably luxury glasses manufacturers are copying JMM in hopes they can grab some of that halo of success.  One overwhelming example is the Brunello Cucinelli "Mr Brunello" sunglasses, and their remarkable similarity to JMM glasses.

From the bold design, to the description which heavily references "bilayer acetate", to the packaging which even replicates JMM's red colouring, as the images on this article show, with JMM on the left, and Cucinelli on the right, anyone failing to see the parallels is clearly fooling themselves.  

In our view, JMM does it better. There's little to say here.  JMM had a vision, they followed it, and continue to produce products in line with it.  We don't find them without fault.  Their constant claim of limited numbered editions, while constantly producing the same frame with the minutest difference is annoying.  But they are still stunningly well made glasses that redefined luxury glasses.  Until something else comes along they continue to lead the way, and imitators beware, lest ye be called out by irrelevant commentators like us.