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Meet Takiya Jarnagin also known as Jig Marie in Downtown

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Takiya Jarnagin.

Takiya, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My name is Takiya Jarnagin, I go by Jiggy. Jiggy came from a friend in high school who just simply was in support of my hobby at the time, dancing. The nickname traveled quickly and eventually, everyone was calling me that. This was my first transformation, jiggy was someone who was confident and when it was time to perform, nothing else mattered. So eventually jiggy became alter ego to me. In 2015, I decided to attend the Illustrious Clark Atlanta University. This phase of life changed me because my mom only wanted me in white schools, the more Caucasian, the better in her eyes. When it came to attending an HBCU, it was a major culture shock for me. My high school senior portraits are what sparked the model interest. The photos made me realize how photogenic and beautiful I was behind the camera, failing to realize that I actually looked just as beautiful in person. This made me want to become an influencer because I knew there were full-figured girls who wanted to feel that same spark I felt from seeing myself in the photos.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
This journey has honestly been crazy. Jig Marie was born in 2018 when I was basically entering another transformation in my life. My grandma died in April of 2018 and that really broke me, I became a member of Gamma Sigma Sigma National Service Sorority Incorporated (best decision of my life), I was preparing for this major weight loss surgery, and graduation was approaching fast. 2018 was pretty much a year where I lost everything and before I was able to lose myself, I applied for MissDivaKurves Kurve Angel Calendar for the year 2019 and this is where I decided to go from Jiggy to Jigmarie. Jigmarie is the older, wiser version of jiggy. She is driven to be the epitome for plus size women and that has always been the goal. I decided to not make Jig Marie an alter ego, but me all the time. I wasn’t doing enough. After graduation happened May 20, 2019 and receiving my Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Merchandising, I was pretty much homeless for a good two weeks, jumping from house to house and sleeping in the car sometimes. This was a very humbling experience because it helped me understand that I wasn’t only meant to serve one purpose on this earth. I have seen a whole different side of me. On January 18, 2019, I got gastric sleeve surgery. This is a form of weight loss surgery which in short terms, stops the overeating I was doing. This confused a lot of my viewers because I am a plus size model and it really didn’t make sense as to why I wanted to lose weight. Well, I still am a plus model, Jig Marie is still alive, but she’s alive and healthy. With my highest weight being 320 pounds and now sitting at 219, I am happier than I have ever been.

JigMarie – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
So I do not have my own business. My brand is myself, Jig Marie. What I do mostly is the brand ambassador position. I have a lot of marketing knowledge, thanks to the illustrious Clark Atlanta University and like to see small businesses excel. I am the one who pays attention to what to sell, who to sell to, and where. Being a brand ambassador allows me to target an audience that is more broad than what the business owner can do alone. Businesses are teamwork and when it comes to merchandising and marketing, a solid team will give an advantage in this very competitive fashion industry. I have worked with brands such as Banni Peru, Miss Diva Kurves Collection, Swanky Ds, ChosenATL, Macy’s, Paint by Shawn Denise and Draper James located in Lenox shops. These are brands and company’s that I have either
modeled for or have spent time being their brand ambassador. My job is to target the curvy women so that everyone is aware of the sizing and it shows the limitations of a company (if any). My goal is to reside in California or Newyork, but right now I am still taking over the city of Atlanta.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me is when you are truly happy with yourself and where you are in life. When you tackle the goals that you have made, even small ones, the feeling is like no other. Being originally from Prince George’s County, Maryland, there wasn’t really much excitement unless you were in D.C. My first step towards my own success was relocation! Yes, I was scared out of my mind and wasn’t sure why I wanted to leave my home town, but I was ready. Looking back, it’s like “wow I really did that, wtf” but a good wtf lol. It’s like risk is what keeps me moving forward. I feel like everyone should have moments where they may not know where, when or how… but simply say fuck it and go for it. Fuck what everyone thinks. When you stop caring about irrelevant opinions, life becomes way more peaceful and continue to remember who your biggest supporters are.

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Shout out to photographers
1. @ghosthallmon
2. @johndacosmo
3. @kelbywalkerphotography

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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