As her days splitting time between both grew busier, Marjan realised she needed to assist Atkins full-time. She worked for her for years, building relationships with her clients along the way. That's when Atkins referred Marjan for her first solo celebrity client: Kim Kardashian.
"I did a couple of blowouts for her, just for personal things, and when she started wearing her hair in braids she had me do it because I knew how," said Marjan. "That was definitely my big break."
Fast forward five years and Marjan has added names like Khloé Kardashian, Olivia Culpo, Kristin Cavallari, Ashley Graham, and more to her list of clientele. Still, her pinnacle career moment didn't happen until 2019; it was her second Met Gala with Graham and the theme was camp.
"The Met Gala is the Olympics for hairstylists, makeup artists, and creatives, because it's that one opportunity to go all out and take a risk," said Marjan.
The "over-the-top," extra-long bubble ponytail decked out with hair accessories that Marjan created is her favourite red carpet moment to date — even if it was so heavy that Graham swore she wasn't going to be able to make it through the night in it. "I was chasing her into the lift pulling hair accessories off of her head until she got in the car. It was just such an iconic moment for me — I couldn't have been more excited."
From Met Galas to countless magazine covers and awards show red carpets, it's not lost on Marjan just how expansive her career has been in such a short amount of time. "I feel so fortunate," she said, adding that she's not anywhere close to being done.
Image Source: Courtesy of Justine Marjan / Getty / Illustrations by Keila Gonzalez