“I won’t attempt to sum up her style, as I’m not sure that’s even possible,” designer Jérôme Mage remarked when asked to account for the enduring allure of the late Loulou de la Falaise, who inspired a new eyewear and accessories collection under his Jacques Marie Mage label.
“She’s a woman who defined a certain idea of freedom in fashion, in style and in creativity,” he said of de la Falaise, a close collaborator of couturier Yves Saint Laurent for three decades and a fashion figure prized for her inimitable, offhand chic. “Her rare sensibility and instinct for layering histories, textures and moods into something unmistakably her own has been a lasting source of inspiration. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to revisit her world.”
Mage collaborated with de la Falaise’s longtime friend and collaborator Ariel de Ravenel to realize the limited-edition items, which debut Thursday jacquesmariemage.com, at select retailers worldwide and at JMM Galleries, the moniker for his directly operated stores.
While best known for sophisticated costume jewelry that mixed semiprecious stones and other eclectic materials, de la Falaise was behind a range of products at YSL, from couture hats to the Variations second line.
The English-born designer, who brought a gust of insouciance, humor and heart to the stuffy world of high fashion, launched a namesake collection of fashion and accessories in 2003 following the retirement of Saint Laurent.
Loulou de la Falaise by JMM frames.
Ethan James Green/Courtesy of Jacques-Marie Mage
She was prized for her ability to snatch disparate and even humble items — flea-market jewelry or thrift-shop finds — and elevate them to the height of elegance and sophistication. She passed away in 2011 at the age of 63, leaving a legacy of chic.
Mage zeroed in on two iconic styles that de la Falaise sported in the 1960s — a metal navigator chosen for a dinner with Saint Laurent and some models, and groovy acetate sunglasses she wore while vacationing in Patmos, Greece.
“Our designs are grounded in archival photography of these occasions, but while they are inspired by these looks and moments, our aim isn’t to copy or reproduce the styles, but to create modern variations that evoke Loulou’s charisma and the spirit of the original frame,” Mage explained in an exclusive interview.
“I think what she stood for, and still represents, was as relevant in the ’60s as it is now, because creative freedom is and always will be the foundation for creating anything of interest and quality — anything unique that helps us define who we are,” he mused.
Mage has also done special frames with the likes of actor Jeff Goldblum, model Erin Wasson, stylist George Cortina and musicians Patti Smith and Glenn Gould.
The Loulou de la Falaise by JMM frames are handcrafted in Japan and Italy — with small details like wolf medallions at the temple tips — and will be sold as limited editions.
In addition, given de la Falaise’s’s passion for jewelry, there will be three sculptural accessories named after key women in her life: Rhoda, an acetate bangle named after her grandmother; a polished wood bangle anointed Lucie after her niece, and a sterling silver cuff named Anna after her daughter.
For the campaign, Mage explores the concept of the muse, conscripting photographer Ethan James Green and his creative partner Steffy Lizi Bauwens, the latter selected to embody “Loulou’s spirit of independence and poetic nonconformity,” according to the brand.
“As an ardent admirer of Yves, it was perhaps inevitable that I would creatively engage with Loulou’s legacy,” Mage said.
Steffy Lizi Bauwens channels Loulou de la Falaise.
Ethan James Green/Courtesy of Jacques-Marie Mage
