Remember when fashion trends were limited to the glossy pages of monthly magazines? Rajni Jacques, the global head of fashion and beauty at Snapchat, was there when it all changed. “I saw how the digital era—the revolution—was democratizing fashion and allowing people to become their brands, their own P.R., and build on their own, all without having to be part of the one percent, which was cool,” she recently told Marie Claire.
@buildingblackbedstuyHolding former editor and director postings at Allure, Teen Vogue, Glamour, Nylon and others, Jacques saw the digital revolution as an opportunity to be seized. She made the leap into tech in 2021, joining Snapchat’s partnerships division and exploring the near-limitless possibilities of augmented reality (AR) for fashion and beauty brands—including social shopping, virtual try-ons, spotlighting up-and-coming creators and for live events.
Her fashion and beauty brand repertoire has only expanded since launching a nonprofit. After seeing stores struggle to stay open in her predominantly Black neighborhood during COVID, Jacques and cofounders launched Building Black Bed-Stuy. The committee is focused on providing financial relief for Black-owned small businesses in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn post-pandemic and has already raised over $180K, as well as helped Jacques discover Black-owned brands, like L’Enchanteur, that she’s continued to spotlight.
