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As the city livens up for summer, there\u2019s no neighborhood buzzier than SoHo. On Thursday, it was particularly jam-packed for the opening of Jacques Marie Mage\u2019s highly anticipated \u2018gallery\u2019 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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<\/em>) the brand\u2019s sunglasses. While exploring, attendees had the chance to test out the frames\u2014many consulting friends to help narrow down a favorite\u2014and get an up-close look at the gallery\u2019s curation of leather goods, jewelry, ceramics, and artifacts. \u201cI want this space to be a reminder to pursue beauty,\u201d J\u00e9r\u00f4me Mage, founder of Jacques Marie Mage, told Vogue.<\/em> \u201cBeauty is robust and individualistic, and it\u2019s a rebellious act to push away from the norm. This is a reminder to not be afraid to explore what you find beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n 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 (\u201cnature is the ultimate luxury\u201d) and more about the brand\u2019s decade-long partnership with Yellowstone National Park. He also invited guests to look up at the eagle\u2019s beak sculpture hanging from the ceiling, reiterating these sculptures as tributes to the park\u2019s key species.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a duality between the wolf and the bison,\u201d he shared with the crowd. \u201cThey\u2019ve 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\u2014and we\u2019ve done our best to bring that duality inside.”\u00a0<\/p>\n 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\u2019s final guest.<\/p>\n By then, it was time for the one-and-only Patti Smith\u2014singer, 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,<\/em> Ghost Dance<\/em>, and Because the Night<\/em>. As she swayed passionately and raised her hands to the beat, guests, including Grace Gummer, Mark Ronson, and Collier Schorr,\u00a0were completely enamored, clapping and singing along with every word.<\/p>\n When Smith cheered \u201cthe night belongs to New York!\u201d for her final chord, the crowd burst into rapturous applause. \u201cIt\u2019s very helpful when the people give their energy and sing with you,\u201d Smith told Vogue<\/em> afterwards. \u201cMy collaboration with Jacques Marie Mage has always been about friendship, and everyone here offered that to me tonight.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n After Smith\u2019s 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\u2014inside, a coffee table book by the sculptor, so they could bring a part of the gallery back home into their own spaces too.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n