Haider Ackermann Made the World's Fanciest Sunglasses Even Fancier (EXCLUSIVE)
Haider Ackermann knows sex appeal. As the latest overseer of Tom Ford's famously sensual clothing, he's turned out figure-hugging silhouettes, see-through PVC skirts, and lots of leather. In fact, the first two looks at Ackermann's Tom Ford debut were literally head-to-toe leather, recalling his previous role at leather-centric luxury label Berluti.
The Colombian-born French designer not only loves leather, he is its modern master. The next step? Leather sunglasses.
Ackermann's debut collaboration with artisanal eyewear house Jacques Marie Mage, whose handcrafted exploits range from $449 motocross goggles to $3,095 shades featuring "unprecedented" rare turquoise, consists of three sunglass models that he helped design.
The trio of buffs, releasing on May 6, each possess a distinct vibe. The sharp angles of Ackermann's rectangular MELCHIOR glasses jar against the BALTHAZAR's round shape further streamlined by slender beta titanium temples and the semi-sporty monobrowed GASPARD.
As with all things JMM, Ackermann's designs are the work of a 300-step process utilizing the skills of almost 100 expert craftspeople. And unlike basically any other sunnies, including those in JMM's existing repertoire, the MELCHIOR and BALTHAZAR are also offered as leather-wrapped styles.
Leather or not, each pair is equipped with a black leather python-patterned collector's case featuring two Italian leather eyewear cases, in case Ackermann's love of leather was remotely unclear.
Jacques Marie Mage, meanwhile, is developing a taste for big-name collaborators who love its glasses as much as it loves them. The Californian label is fresh from releasing collections with actor Jeff Goldblum, rock royalty Patti Smith, and Yoko Ono, who created a collection dedicated to the LP she recorded with late partner John Lennon.
JMM founder Jérôme Mage is choosy. He could work with anyone but he selects only the best of the best. Ackermann is up there, Mage says, as "one of the best creative directors in the world."
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