The D’Marie Institute, Jamaica’s leading beauty school, will roll out its latest international offerings in makeup artistry, hairdressing, massage therapy, nail technology, braiding and barbering, when the new school year begins on September 11 this year.

D’Marie Institute is a skills training school, with highly trained and competent instructors offering skills training accredited by City & Guilds of London and registered by the Education Ministry.  The institution considers itself to be the force behind a host of top runway models and a reservoir for in-demand makeup artists and top ranked, domestically produced music videos.

Since October 2009, the D’Marie Institute has successfully trained over 1300 students, and continues to make an indelible mark on the beauty industry, providing many Jamaicans and international students with the skill sets needed to take a different approach in conquering their dreams and aspirations.

D’Marie Institute focuses on the empowerment of women, helping them to find meaning and purpose in life, through holistic skills training and employment opportunities. The institution is among the leading lights in the arena of professional makeup artistry, corporate customer service and corporate grooming.

D’Marie Institute is the vision of Dawn Marie Petgrave a dependable, detail-oriented, and multi-talented individual with over twenty-five years of professional experience in North America, the Caribbean, and other parts of the world.

She is a licensed associate psychologist, certified trauma specialist, educator, motivational speaker, and self-proclaimed beauty mogul. Dawn left Jamaica with little more than a dream and this year D’Marie Institute marks its 14th anniversary.

The school, formerly located at the Pulse Complex at Trafalgar Road, has moved to a new home at 14 to 16 West Avenue in St Andew, on the campus of the Jamaica Theological Seminary.

Studies have shown that the beauty industry is heavily impacted by social problems like human trafficking and domestic violence. Being a licensed associate psychologist and certified complex trauma specialist, Petgrave decided to merge certifications in human trafficking; domestic violence and client wellbeing to the curriculums at D’Marie Institute.

These certifications will teach beauty professionals how to protect their clients, give a voice to the most vulnerable, give our students the mental acumen to handle the stresses of the fast-paced beauty field and make a positive impact on their community..

“For those who want to own their own beauty business, work with top entertainers, models and other major celebrities then D’Marie is a good place to start. The Institute trains and empowers its students and has the track record and the networks to get you front and centre of the high rollers,” Dawn notes.

After graduating from Bergen Community College in 1996 with guidance from her professor, Dr Paula Williams, Dawn began a career in fashion and beauty, working for a virtual who’s who of global icons including Estee Lauder, Clinique, MAC cosmetics and Nordstrom, while also serving as an instructor of makeup artistry.

Combining her passion for education, beauty and fashion, she leveraged her training and experience to create the D’Marie Institute, Jamaica’s premier school for creating high-level beauty experts in makeup artistry, hairdressing, barbering and nail technology, while also offering advanced diplomas to students seeking to teach. Dawn went on to further her studies in counselling psychology and forensic psychology and currently practices as a licensed psychotherapist.

Students at the D’Marie Institute will no doubt benefit from the top skills and approaches instructed by the faculty there, all experts in the field.

“As the new term beckons, students can rest assured that they will be embarking on a life-changing adventure, one that will put them up in the highlights as indispensable architects of the beauty industry in Jamaica and worldwide”, Petgrave notes.