
Mother Stories
Pregnancy Style: Rajni Jacques
Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano
Photography by Maria Del Rio
Apr 19, 2016
Sacrificing personal style for watered-down pregnancy style is just not an option for New York fashion and media vet Rajni Jacques. With a résumé that reads like a well-stocked magazine rack/dream closet (InStyle, Nylon, Glamour, Vibe, Madewell, Christian Louboutin), the creative director and editor knows a thing or two about clothing and accessories, and having a bump to style is seen merely as a small sartorial challenge. Here, the Brooklynite shows us three of her go-to, preggers-friendly looks in her equally cool and collected apartment.
- "It's very simple. I wanted to have a lot of white space. I wanted to create a space that had a lot of breathing room and no unnecessary clutter. I would say the aesthetic is clean and simple."
- "One of the reasons why I love the white space is because it's easy to display all the art work I have. There is nothing competing with the art because the walls are so clean. As for my favorite pieces, I love when I am able to hang up a painting I created myself. The two that hang above my dining table are some of my faves. On the left is a painting of one of my favorite characters, Mookie from Do The Right Thing. On the right is a painting that is an ode to my favorite sports teams, the New York Mets."
- "For me it depends on the space you have. I used to live in a house that was 135 years old, which had so many antique details. So, I decorated accordingly, mixing antique pieces and modern pieces. With this apartment it was a blank slate. There were no antique or 'cool' old-school details, so I wanted everything that I brought into the space to match."
- The blooming beauty. Rajni wears a Reformation dress, Donna Karan belly band, Prps denim, and vintage heels.
- Fashion and skate mash-up.
- "I would like to keep it contained, but you never know if that will really work. I guess I'll see when the little dude gets here! I'm very open to it all. Only time will tell."
- "What I do is a mix of being a creative director, story editor, producer, and all around creative. Pretty much taking one (or several) ideas and building it up and seeing the execution from start to finish. I also implement a strategy behind it to give it legs. With my fashion editorial background, I serve as a creative for brands that need an editorial perspective. I take something retailers are trying to sell, but make it digestible in a very authentic way. When it comes to any editorial projects (like working for websites), I create and produce fashion editorials, style stories, curate Instagram feeds, etc."
- One of many cool kicks.
- "I grew up in Richmond Hill, Queens, and Manalapan, New Jersey. I'm an East Coaster! I went to college at Rutgers College, where I studied Communication and Journalism. I received my Master's in Journalism at Columbia University. I've worked at many different places doing many different things. I was a freelance Market Editor at InStyle, PR Director for Christian Louboutin, Accessories Editor for Vibe, Fashion Features Editor for Nylon, Fashion News Editor at Glamour, Contributing Fashion Editor for the launch of Yahoo! Style, contracted Editorial Creative at Madewell, and Editor at Large/Fashion Contributor for Racked.com. I never thought I'd work in fashion. I love art and beautiful pictures and the story behind the beautiful things we see coming down the runways and in books, but I did not think working in fashion could be a profession. When I got into it by accident, I embraced it and loved it. And I still love it, but I don't let it consume me."
- "Yes, for sure. I like being busy and I like doing a lot of things, but it's taught me that it's also nice to sit in silence and reflect."
- A statement-making accessory.
- "Yes, I have so much family around and such a great friend support system. And I have a great husband, who even though I promised him that he can still surf when there are waves, he'll make sure our baby boy is taken care of 24/7."
- "I have a plan, but we all know plans are not foolproof. I plan on taking time off and being off the grid to bond with my little one. I assume I'll be too tired to do anything. I'll have some maternity leave, but once I get a grasp of things, I'll be back working."
- "Being able to work on so many creative projects and work with a ton of brilliant people. I'm very fortunate for that."
- "Keep doing what I am doing. I am sure in a few years it will morph into something else, and when that time and change comes I'll embrace that."
- A denim-and-KAWS moment.
- "A boy! What excites me is raising a little boy, which is so foreign to me. This is my first, so whether it was a boy or girl it would be foreign. But I'm open to learn. Something else that excites me is being able to witness a beautiful relationship between him and my husband."
- "I do. But I'm Haitian and very superstitious to let the name get out there!" Rajni wears an American Apparel bodysuit, Cienne NY pants, and Vans.
- "Everything! The change, the unknown, and the prospect of learning so many new things."
- "Not being good enough for him. I know you can never be perfect, but I so want to be good enough for him."
- "Obviously, my mother, Magalie St. Lot. She raised four kids and gave us everything. She was and is very selfless. Even through whatever struggles she's had, she gave us everything without hesitation. My beautiful grandmother, Lucienne St. Lot, is an icon for being such a magical, loving mother, and loving my mother unconditionally. This allowed my mother to become who she is today. My mother-in-law, Mary, is just the best, just amazing. I am very grateful to have her in my life. And to finish this list off: Clare Huxtable was the ultimate. Just flawless."
- "My sister got me the book What To Expect When You Are Expecting. It's good, but I think I'm slacking. I feel like I should be reading more. I try and stay away from websites because I might go on a message board and drive myself crazy. However, I do like the What To Expect website."
- "The first three months were brutal, but now I'm feeling good. Everyday I wake up, I am so thankful for this growing belly. I am simply grateful for it. But I can't lie, there are times I'm like 'Ugh,what's that? This hurts, please stop kicking. ACK!' It's beautiful, but can also be brutal."
- "Epidural. I can't take pain. But again, I'll see when he decides to come out!"
- "That the belly gets tight and that hurts. Sometimes I feel like I have no more skin to give."
- "Yes, definitely. I come from a family of four so there will definitely be another little one after baby boy."
- "It hasn't happened yet. My sister and sister-in-law are planning it. I just want it to be chill. No sitting down and opening gifts. That's just not me."
- Sporty spice.
- "The baby's room is our spare room. It acted as my studio/quiet place, but will now be baby boy Dowd's home. Right now on one wall I have black and white photos. Some of them are photos my husband took in college and others are photos of us when we were young. I will keep the black and white wall and not change a thing. We also have some white cabinets that I will empty out and put all of the baby stuff in there. The other wall is where I keep my unfinished paintings. That will have to change, but I have not figured out how that will work yet. All in all, I am keeping the room as is, but will add in some kiddie touches, like a grey crib and very simple bedding. There will also be a changing table that will match the crib. My thought is that he will not know what his room looks like right away, so when he grows up a bit and gets a sense of things, he'll help me create his room so it can be all him."
- "I love the black and white wall. After he is born, I'll add some photos of him in black and white to complete it."
- "I'm always in jeans. It's very simple and to the point, but I'm always taking it up a notch with accessories, especially when it comes to shoes."
- "Nope. I try and keep my style as it was. I don't want to morph into another person with some foreign style just because I have a bump."
- "I bought Madewell's Perfect Summer Jeans two sizes too big because they were on sale. I also love Madewell's High Riser Skinny Skinny Jeans with stretch. PRPS boyfriend jeans are another one of my favorite staples and body suits in all different colors from American Apparel. All these things I wore before becoming pregnant and still wear them now."
- "I weirdly enjoy it. I want to see how creative I can get! It can be difficult sometimes if you have an idea in your head about how you want to look and you can not achieve it."
- Studded and quilted.
- "Very simple. I wash my face with Irish Clean Soap and moisturize it with all my favorite Kiehl's products."
- "I used to run a lot, but now I am a bit limited. I try and work out at least four times a week with a video called Pretty Mama Pregnancy, which is a mix of cardio and pilates. I like to keep my body moving to sweat. Then, I do some strengthening moves to tone."
- Baby bits.
- Vag pride!
- "I've always lived on the East Coast. I've lived in many parts of Brooklyn—Crown Heights, Sunset Park, and Bed Stuy, as well as Montclair, New Jersey. The only time I wasn't on the East Coast was when I lived in Paris, which I love and miss." Rajni wears an American Apparel bodysuit, Jil Sander x Uniqlo jacket, Madewell jeans, Just Fab heels, and Lady Grey earrings.
- The glow.
- "The diversity. You can't go wrong when you raise your child amongst all types of people. It can only enrich him."
- "I live in Bed Stuy and have many neighborhood places that I love. Lover's Rock is great for drinks. My friends and I throw a party there once a month. Casablanca Cocktail Lounge is down the street and is our 'neighborhood spot.' Manny's is a great place for good burgers. Sincerely, Tommy is a concept shop where you can get great clothing and a coffee. I love to relax on my rooftop. Can't beat that!"
- For more on Rajni and her new arrival, be sure to follow her on Instagram.
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