THE FRENCH CONNECTION

That sensibility informs the foundation of his longstanding relationship with Jacques Marie Mage founder Jérôme Mage. Since first collaborating in 2020, the two French-born creatives have developed an ongoing dialogue between headwear and eyewear, united by a shared appreciation for heritage, history, and the handmade. Their first collaborations explored California and the American West; this latest chapter turns toward France, a place that shaped both of them personally and creatively.

“Nick and I are both craftsmen first,” says Mage. “We’ve always shared a mutual admiration for what each of us creates, and I think that’s why the collaboration has felt so natural from the beginning.”

Inspired by the atmosphere of French New Wave cinema and the cultural mythology surrounding figures like Alain Delon, the collection reflects a shared fascination with the France of the 1960s and early ’70s—a period defined by film, style, and artistic experimentation. In the following conversation, Fouquet discusses craftsmanship, timeless design, and the French-American influences that continue to shape his work and ongoing creative partnership with Jacques Marie Mage.

JMM: This is the third chapter in an ongoing partnership between you and JMM founder Jérôme Mage. What continues to draw you together creatively, and how has that relationship evolved over time?

Nick Fouquet: Jérôme and I are friends, first and foremost, but beyond that there’s a real mutual appreciation for what we each do. We’re both known for these singular categories—he’s eyewear, I’m headwear—and there’s something powerful about that relationship between the two. When you look at someone, you’re looking at their face and head. It’s the most immediate real estate. So eyewear and hats naturally speak to each other. There’s always been and continues to be a shared handmade sensibility in both our worlds, a belief in craftsmanship and objects that feel personal.

JMM: This collaboration feels particularly rooted in French culture. What was the conceptual starting point for this new chapter?

NF: The first collaborations were very American West-inspired because of both our fascinations with Americana. But this time we wanted to reverse it—to make the American influence the undertone and the French influence the overtone.

That’s where Jérôme and I really connect. We both see French and American culture from a very unique perspective. There’s a sophistication in French culture, an appreciation for refinement and beauty, that’s just ingrained. You grow up surrounded by it. And then there’s the directness and mythology of America layered underneath. Bringing those two energies together feels like our superpower.

JMM: There’s a strong cinematic mood running through the collection and campaign imagery. Were there particular films, figures, or cultural references guiding your thinking?

NF: The whole spirit of the collection is rooted in French New Wave cinema and that romantic idea of the artist discovering themselves. Alain Delon was a huge reference point, especially films like Le Samouraï and Purple Noon. There’s this timeless elegance to him, but also this sense of mystery and detachment.

But I don’t think of the collection as ‘leading man’ energy exactly. It’s more like the spirit of young artists arriving in Paris—immersing themselves in café culture, smoking, drinking, talking about art all night, deciding to fully commit to a creative life. Patti Smith talks about that in Just Kids. It’s that moment where you stop choosing safety and decide to become an artist completely. That energy felt important to the collection.

JMM: What were you trying to achieve from a design perspective with this new collection?

NF: For me, the most important thing was timelessness. I want to make things that feel just as relevant thirty years from now as they do today. I want to wear them now, and I want to wear them when I’m an old man. That’s always the goal.

The shapes have this thick acetate, vintage-inspired feel, but they never feel nostalgic to me. They feel masculine and feminine at the same time. I love that ambiguity. I love seeing the frames on women, I love seeing them on men. They’re meant to exist outside of trend cycles.

JMM: Beyond the eyewear itself, this collaboration also includes hats, hardware, and custom packaging details. Why was it important to extend the collaboration into those elements as well?

NF: We’re developing a hat alongside the collection, something inspired by midcentury silhouettes with a shorter brim, and we’re also creating a decorative pin that can live on a hat or a lapel. I liked the idea that it could move between worlds.

That connection felt natural because both our brands are increasingly exploring jewelry. It’s about elevating the object and continuing the handmade aspect of the collaboration. Like with the packaging and cards, we wanted everything to feel touched by hand, to carry the human element through the entire experience.