Kriti Mehrotra
Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, Netflix’s ‘What’s in the Box’ is a game show wherein 8 pairs of contestants face off in several rounds of trivia in the hopes of walking away with spectacular prizes. These range from NFL season tickets to luxury electric vehicles and from a once-in-a-lifetime experience to dine with celebrity chef David Chang to an all-expense paid vacation to Finland. Amongst those to thus play are Mary-Ashanti Harrison and Djennane Jean-Francois, who are not only best friends but also soul sisters determined to make all their dreams come true together.
Mary-Ashanti and Djennane Are Chosen Family
It was around 2013 when Mary-Ashanti and Djennane first came across one another at a “methods class” while they were both serving as beauty educators to rising hair & makeup artists. According to the former’s account in the aforementioned original, they were indeed the typical “hot cosmetology teachers,” unaware they would soon mutually fall in platonic love at first sight. They believed they were the cutest instructors, yet what really brought them together were the adorable floral plants Mary was wearing because Djennane just couldn’t take her eyes off them.
As per Djennane, she was wondering where her fellow educator had gotten these pants and if she could borrow them, resulting in the start of a conversation that turned into a forever friendship. Her basic sentiments were, “I need those pants, so hey, be my friend,” only for it to gradually evolve into a soul bond full of mutual care, kindness, love, respect, as well as understanding, Therefore, they proudly refer to themselves as “spiritual sisters,” who joined this production in the hopes of continuing to have experiences together, but alas, a prize fight ended their stint too soon.
Mary-Ashanti Harrison is a Proud Entrepreneur and Family Woman
Belonging to a working-class household helmed by Jamaican immigrant parents, Mary was just a young girl when she realized the significance of determination, hard work, and perseverance. She thus didn’t let adversity, fortuitous events, or unconventionalism deter her, even if they comprised her becoming pregnant at the tender age of 17 while she was in her senior year of high school. This much evidenced by her decision to follow her passion for beauty/make-up at the age of 18, with a newborn baby right on her hip – that’s when she began pursuing a career in the industry.
According to Mary’s accounts, her path to making a name for herself was not easy at all, especially as she struggled with heartbreak, mental health, poverty, and self-image along the way. Nevertheless, she kept on moving forward with the support of her family as well as loved ones like Djennane, which enabled her to evolve from a student to a teacher to an entrepreneur in the beauty world. She established a brand called Made Up On The Go, which provides luxury hair, make-up, and wardrobe services to ensure clients of all tones, textures, and backgrounds can feel their best selves. Since then, the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based dreamer has been hired not only for weddings as well as photoshoots but also for commercial work, fashion weeks, and editorials.
Mary’s clients have hence included Fox Sports x MLB, Gucci, Levi’s, L’Oreal, Kiss New York, Paris Hilton, The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Vogue, Wella, and World Poker Tour, among many more. Since then, she has only expanded her wings by launching another brand by the name of ATE11 Attire, which is a clothing line inspired by her complex journey and follows the motto of fashion with intention. We should also mention that she is currently in the process of earning her real estate license so as to complete a cycle her loving father had started decades ago but could never finish. On a more personal level, it appears as if the proud businesswoman is family-oriented and a fitness enthusiast, but someone who prefers to keep her daily experiences private.
Djennane Jean-Francois is a Proud Beauty Professional Too
A native of Edison, New Jersey, with an undergraduate degree from Berkeley College, Djennane Jean-Francois is still based in her hometown, where she proudly juggles her career and family life. Having previously worked with many hair & make-up artists at different stages, she evolved into a Level 1 Hair Stylist herself in 2020 before being promoted to Level 2 in April 2022. So, today, she is a cut, color, as well as style expert at Bloom Salon in Maple Avenue in Morristown, New Jersey, where she has been happily employed for over a decade as of writing. Coming to her personal standing, it appears as if Djennane is extremely close to her parents and is happily married, but she, too, prefers to keep the details of her experiences well away from the spotlight over privacy concerns.
