KOCHI: In April 2017, American fashion designer Marc Jacobs’s brand, ‘Marc Jacobs’, had rolled out their campaign #CastMeMarc (first launched in 2014) which invited girls from around the world to model and represent the brand’s campaigns. Kerala-native Rhea Jacobs, absolutely no relation to Marc, a content creator, too tried her chances. From about 1 lakh applicants, the stunning beauty blogger rose successful to represent the brand as its global beauty ambassador. Soon after, the 24-year-old, in a short span of time, was featured in publications and brands in the likes of Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, Tiffany & Co., Vogue, Bloomingdale’s, Harper’s Bazaar, Grazia, Faberge, Cosmopolitan, and Popsugar. And has now been chosen to walk at the Dubai Modest Fashion Week.
“It feels wonderful to represent a brand of this magnitude and influence on a global scale. It’s been an impeccable journey travelling and shooting in places such as New York, LA, Paris. I was just out of university when I got the news of this opportunity and it was such an overwhelming emotion I can’t truly describe, I was definitely filled with an immense sense of gratitude. Being the Marc Jacobs ambassador has truly been a catalyst for so many opportunities. As for the ‘changes’, I can definitely say my journey has been truly blessed since then,” the Dubai-based artist says.
A graduate in Fashion Design Honors at the Heriot-Watt University in Dubai, Rhea ventured into content creation and artistic expression, using the very platform to creatively translate herself through fashion, beauty, and art, with a strong emphasis on the need for diversity, inclusivity and embracing individuality. “I guess the craft of artistic expression fascinates me more. I’m deeply intrigued by how art, fashion and beauty can creatively express who you are,” she says, substantiating her work.
Having grown up in Dubai all her life, the place is definitely her home and heart. “Watching Dubai’s ground-breaking innovation and advancement has definitely inspired me to remove the word impossible from my dictionary,” she says. Albeit, one would wonder how demonstrative and poignant fashion in the Gulf is. Rhea contradicts the same. “Fashion in the Middle East, especially Dubai, is definitely fearless and very expressive. We don’t hold back. The street style in Dubai is so inspiring - you have people from all walks of life express themselves through this beautiful craft. There’s a lot of freedom and people appreciate uniqueness and individuality,” she says.
Known for her signature winged eye-liner, Rhea’s love for makeup stems out of her being a fine artist. “I’ve always been fascinated by the strokes of eyeliner my mother used to apply to work every day,” she says.
A fashion-blogger and makeup maverick in possibly the most exciting times for fashion, it is indeed not an easy task to create fresh content for audiences and compete amidst other creators. Rhea believes it is extremely vital to be in sync with generating engaging content, despite the arduous task. “It definitely is demanding but when you love what you do it’s truly a blessing. I primarily work with luxury brands to create content in the form of campaigns, editorials and shoots. My job is both creatively and physically. You are your own boss at the end of the day and this is a business,” she says.
When questioned about her most exciting shoot, she responds in the negative. “As a ‘creative’, I can’t necessarily choose just one. Each project has taught me something new and evoked something new in me as an artist. That being said, my first ever editorial with Vogue was definitely a special moment as it was always a dream of mine to achieve,” Rhea says.
The multi-faceted creative is steadfast in wanting to create a significant impact in the world. “Not just in fashion and beauty but especially through philanthropy and humanitarian means - I’m actively involved at the Al Noor School of Special Needs since high school and spend a lot of my time with the students there. It gives me an immense sense of joy and pride to see our kids thrive with each day of progress. I want and am trying to use my platform to make a change in this light,” she adds.