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Justine Marjan is a celebrity hairstylist best known for styling clients such as Kim Kardashian, Ariana Grande, Kylie Jenner, Bebe Rexha, Kerry Washington, Zoe Kravitz, Tessa Thompson, Zoey Deutch, Kehlani, Keke Palmer, Cardi B, Chrissy Teigen, and more.
In the latest episode of our podcast, Who What Wear With Hillary Kerr, Marjan discusses her journey to becoming one of the most sought-after hairstylists in Hollywood, doing her first Fashion Week show, creating iconic looks for Kim Kardashian, and much more. Keep scrolling to get a preview of our conversation, then tune in to the Who What Wear podcast to hear the whole episode.
So you moved to LA and you started assisting some amazing people like Andy Lecompte, and our friend Jen Atkin. What was that process like? Because obviously, you knew what you were doing, you had skills, but this is a different, I’m assuming level of clientele or operation. What was the biggest difference right off the bat? And then also, I feel like you probably came into assisting in LA with more experience than most people, which would probably set you up really well to move forward. Am I right in thinking that?
Yeah. I mean, I was really nervous about moving to LA and it was actually a really hard decision for me that weighed on me for a long time. I used to meditate on it. I was really, like, is this the right decision? You know, I was so nervous because I had an established career and then I was essentially moving to a city where I didn’t know anyone. I was starting all over. And so I really struggled with the decision but when I wrote out my resume and started applying, I was like, why would they not hire me? Because I could do this. If you read my resume, I have the experience. And I think that that’s something that can apply to anyone in any field, because I think all of us have a little bit of impostor syndrome, or sometimes we’re like, Why? Why me? Why would they pick me? But then if you look, and if you’re doing all of the right things, and setting yourself up, like, why wouldn’t they pick you? You know? So I really struggled. But once I moved to LA, everything fell into place really quickly. And that’s when I really felt like it was meant to be. So to answer your question, the world of doing editorial, freelance celebrity hairstyling is completely different from the salon world. So it was really mind blowing to me when I moved here because how people carry themselves, how the products people use, the way they style, it just is nothing you could possibly learn unless you’re doing it firsthand. It was nothing like what I had, even someone like me that was taking an advanced class every six months, it’s not anything you could possibly learn in that type of setting. So I really learned a lot of life skills. And I learned, you know, simple things that go a long way, like how to carry yourself how to read a room, how to read the energy in a room, how to cater to different types of personalities, or clientele. It was such an education in those few years that I spent assisting, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity.
So I read that you had a moment, when you styled Kim Kardashian early on that felt like a big moment for your career. Can you tell me about that?
Yes. So one of my, I would say, the biggest moments where I felt like there was a real shift was when Kim started wearing her hair in braids. It was right after she had just had a baby, and she was wearing her hair in braids. Jen [Atkin] texted me—I was driving in Studio City, and she was like, “Do you know how to do braids?” And I was like,”Yes.” And she was like, “Are you sure?” And I sent her a photo—I just braided someone’s hair, like the day before and she was like, “Okay, perfect. Can you go do Kim right now?” So I turn my car around, went and did Kim’s braids. Kim loved it. She ended up wearing that hairstyle probably for like months. That was her hairstyle and all of a sudden, everyone was wearing their hair like that. I would go to Topshop and all the mannequins would have their hair braided like that. I was like, this is just insane. And then, you know, everyone was asking me about braids. I think a magazine, it might have been Refinery 29, was like Justine Marjan: the Queen of Braids or something and Kim was Snapchatting being like “Justine’s the queen of braids.” So it was just like, all of a sudden, my life changed. That was incredible and it was just a fun experience.
You have five minutes to pack for a vacation. What are the hair products you take with you?
Oh, my gosh, the GHD Unplugged Styler because you don’t need a outlet to use it. It’s cordless, so that’s great for travel. Tresemmé extra hold gel because I think vacation looks, like slick looks, end up working really well. So I love like a slicked bun or like sleek braids. It’s really easy and you can wear it to the pool or the beach and your hair won’t get frizzy. A silk pillowcase—put all your stuff in there. A detangling brush and probably hairspray. I feel like I could do anything with hairspray.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Next up, check out our previous episode featuring Bobby Schuessler.
