Yellowstone National Park is brimming with life.
Dramatic canyons, sprawling lush forest & cascading waterfalls are but a slice of what make up this extraordinary landscape, which act as home to an even more remarkable ensemble of wildlife.
The reintroduction of grey wolves to Yellowstone in 1995 was a project wracked with controversy, however, its proven to have been nothing short of a miraculous change on the entire ecosystem of the park.
With a more natural balance between predators & prey, populations of elk, beavers and even songbirds have flourished, and the wolves themselves were considered recovered enough to be delisted from the Endangered Species Act across three states by 2017.
Marking the completion of Wolf Awareness Week with the release of their fifth Yellowstone Forever collection, Jacques Marie Mage proudly honour the arguably most famous inhabitants of the park. Reimagining four classic JMM shapes in new colours inspired by wilderness of this special region, each has been bestowed a namesake paying homage to an iconic wolf pack.
MOLLIES
Formed from some of the original translocated grey wolves of 1995, the Mollie’s pack is one of the park’s oldest & most beloved. Named in honour of Mollie Beattie, the Director of the US Fish and Wildlife service during the wolf reintroduction era, the pack is famed for the multiple of long-standing female alphas over their spectacular 25-year reign.
The Flynn, a trailblazing tastemaker, was the perfect frame to honour the Mollie’s. Outfitted for the outdoors with photochromic polarised glass lenses in Vintage Green, the silver beta titanium frame is complimented with a distinct double-bridge, polished gold embellishments and hand painted epoxy temple tips in dark green.
Available Online & In Store at Niche
GRAYLING
Carving out new territory in the vast wilderness is no easy feat, however this was precisely the doing a famous female wolf known affectionately as “Tripod” in 2009. Missing part of a hindleg failed to hold her back, and along with two other males established what would be the Grayling Creek Pack in the Northwestern Corner of Yellowstone. Although by 2011 it was unknown what the fate of the pack was, their fierceness was a reminder of the enduring spirit of wolves.
Refined with a touch of rowdy, the 60s inspired navigators, Evans, honour this pack in a stylish green, outfitted with gradient polarised lenses in Moss.
DRUID
The Druid Peaks pack is one of the most famous to ever grace Yellowstone, due to their prime location in the Lamar Valley which allowed thousands of visitors to observe the pack every year. Having been introduced in 1996, they displaced the original wolves who would go on to form the Mollie’s, and by the early 2000s had thrived as one of the largest packs ever recorded. Their legacy came to end in 2010, with the sole remaining member legally shot.
Their monumental size ensured a lasting impact on the history of Yellowstone, and the 80s inspired aviators, Montana, capture their fighting spirit, with a taupe tortoiseshell, polarised glass lenses in Forest Green.
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JUNCTION BUTTE
Packed to brim with survivors, the formidable Junction Butte pack was formed in 2012 and has only strengthened in numbers since, reigning presently as the largest wolf pack in Yellowstone. No wolf more impressive than 907F, the living legend & matriarch, who at 11 & half years old has triple the species’ usual life expectancy. Fighting tooth and nail to maintain her position, she is at the heart of Junction Butte.
No better way to honour such indomitable figure than to reintroduce a model from 2016, the year 907F would have inherited the mantle of alpha, in the form of the Wesley. Dynamic & with a keyhole nose design, these semi-clear orange spectacles are outfitted for the outdoors with photochromic polarised glass lenses in Blue, & temples tips paying tribute with a special ‘Howling Wolf’ medallion.
Available Online & In Store at Niche
Jacques Marie Mage is a long-time supporter of Yellowstone Forever, the official non-profit partner of Yellowstone National Park, using their resources and voice to ensure the protection of the incredible Yellowstone Ecosystem.