Marjani Celebrates Three Years!
Can you believe it? Three years have gone by and we are celebrating our birthday at Marjani! Time flies when you're having fun. In honor of this milestone, we have a word from our Founder, Kimberly Smith!
From the desk of Kimberly Smith, Founder of MarjaniBeauty.com:
It was 3 years ago that we launched the website, MarjaniBeauty.com. Our goal from the beginning was to create a platform where the collective diversity of women of color is celebrated. Our charge was to carve out space where we are the priority and the level of service and quality of products offered is reflected.
In Year 1 (2017), we launched the e-commerce platform with 12 brands and took to the road for the "Perfect Match Tour". We popped up in New York, Atlanta, DC, and Miami. We also attended Beautycon in collaboration with AJ Crimson Beauty in both LA and NY. Our goal was to get the word out that there was..."finally a beauty destination for women of color."
In Year 2 (2018), we made a strategic move and partnered with the Product Junkie DC to create a beauty cooperative. This partnership allowed us to open our first "brick & mortar" location in the heart of Washington, DC. Our goal from the beginning was to create an experience and we knew a storefront was a key component.
In Year 3 (2019), with over 30 brands we continued our e-commerce platform and fully began the journey of creating an in-store experience. Not to limit ourselves to being a retail-only location, we added makeup services and classes & educational events on our melanin skin.
Now, what is next in Year 4? Building a business from the ground up is no easy feat. While we have been able to create a small team, we are still operating very lean. So to ensure Marjani reaches its goal of being the premier beauty destination for women of color, we will continue to focus on building a strong foundation... exceptional customer service, product awareness, education, elevated brands by people of color and a welcoming, inviting and inclusive in-store experience with quality services.
We know there is no one size fits all when it comes to women of color and our hair, skin and beauty needs. We are constantly breaking the mirrored vanity when it comes to the “ideal standards” of beauty. All the while, the majority of brands fail to keep up or even attempt to fulfill our diverse needs. Well, as we like to say, "Forget about those brands that forgot about you... we got you!
Thank you so much for being apart of this journey! It is truly my pleasure to serve each and every one of you. Let's continue to Break the Mold of Beautiful!
XO,
Kimberly Smith