Jourdan Dunn is a British fashion model.
She was discovered in Hammersmith Primark in 2006 and signed to Storm Model Management
in London shortly thereafter.
In 2008, she was the first black model to walk a Prada runway in over a decade.
She has attracted attention because of the paucity of black models in the fashion modelling
industry.
In April 2014, it was announced that Dunn was signed as the new face of Maybelline New
York.
As of July 2014, she was declared an icon by models.com In 2014, Forbes listed Dunn
in their top-earning models list, estimated to have earned $4 million in one year.
She was the first black British model to make the list.
Early Life and Discovery Jourdan Dunn was born and raised in the West
London suburb of Greenford, with her mother, a receptionist and two younger brothers.
She admitted to being self-conscious as a teenager, due to her height and weight.
She stated growing up, people would often tell her she should become a model, but was
apprehensive as she wasn't really sure what a model did.
She commented that shows like America's Next Top Model intrigued her on the industry, as
it gave her a new perspective of the job.
In early 2006, at the age of 15, she was scouted by an agent from Storm Model Management, while
accompanying a friend in a London Primark.
Career At the age of 16, Dunn made her runway debut
in the New York shows in the fall of 2007, walking in shows for Marc Jacobs and Polo
Ralph Lauren, among others.
Soon after, she quickly rose to prominence within the industry.
In 2007, she was featured on British Vogue as a "new star,", and in 2008 Style.com listed
her as one of the top 10 newcomers.
She also walked 75 shows during the spring/summer 2008 season, including Louis Vuitton and Valentino.
In July 2008, Steven Meisel selected Dunn to appear on the cover of the Vogue Italia
issue devoted entirely to black models.
She has also been featured on the cover of American Vogue, British Vogue and Teen Vogue,
as well as covering i-D- seven times, Elle, Pop, Russh, Muse, The Sunday Times Style,
Ponystep, Antidote and Luella.
She has garnered attention for her legs and for her walk which she says she practises
frequently with very tall heels, walking over 60 shows during the spring 2009 season.
She has modelled for Ann Taylor, Burberry, Balmain, Calvin Klein, Yves Saint Laurent,
DKNY, John Galliano, Victoria's Secret, Tommy Hilfiger, Topshop, Jaeger, Rag & Bone, Gap,
Aldo, Shiatzy Chen, Benetton, H&M, Banana Republic, Free People, Neiman Marcus and Saks
Fifth Avenue, and is the face of Rihanna's collections for River Island.
She has appeared in editorials for American, Italian, French, British, Russian, Spanish,
Japanese and Teen Vogue, Elle, i-D, Dazed & Confused, W, Pop, Centrefold and V. In Teen
Vogue's November 2009 issue on which she appears alongside Chanel Iman, she discusses her and
Chanel's previous competitive relationship in the accompanying article, as well as the
challenges they face being black models in the fashion world.
The issue sparked controversy as Dunn; who was 18 at the time, announced her pregnancy.
Teen Vogue faced backlash from the media, who accused them of glorifying teenage pregnancy.
She continued to model until she was six months pregnant and couldn't fit into any of the
clothes- notably walking the catwalk for the Spring 2010 Jean Paul Gaultier show, with
a baby bump.
At the age of 19, ten weeks after giving birth, Dunn returned to the runway at London Fashion
Week for the Winter 2010 season.
For returning to work so quickly, she said her motivation was her son:
"More than anything, having a son has made me realise I have to make shit work: I'm his
voice, I'm his lifeline, I have to be driven.
I think he pushed me in the right direction.
I've always been ambitious, but now I have more focus.
I'm more hardworking."
During the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony, Dunn was one of the British models wearing
bespoke fashions created by British designers specifically for the event.
The other models were Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, David Gandy, Karen Elson, Lily Cole,
Georgia May Jagger and Stella Tennant.
She wore a gold and white gown by Jonathan Saunders with feathered headdress by Stephen
Jones.
She also made her Victoria's Secret Fashion Show debut for the 2012 show.
In March 2013, Dunn appeared as the cover story in Net-a-Porter's "The Edit."
In it she spoke of encountering discrimination telling the magazine that casting agents would
say clients “didn't want any more black girls”.
In July, 2013, she received media attention for tweeting that she had been cancelled from
a Dior haute couture show, "for her boobs"; rather than her skin colour - which she noted,
"usually happens".
In April 2014, it was announced Maybelline New York had signed her to join the brand.
Her first role for the cosmetic company will be fronting the brand's "Go Extreme Mascara",
accompanied with print and television ads.
In August 2014, Forbes listed Dunn in their top-earning models list, estimated to have
earned $4 million in one year.
Accolades In November 2008, Dunn was named "Model of
the Year" at the British Fashion Awards.
In November 2013, she won "Model of the Year" at the Harper's Bazaar Women Of The Year Awards.
As of July 2014, she was declared an icon by models.com after appearing on their Top
50 Models Women list for seven consecutive years.
Media and Appearances Dunn currently hosts a cooking show entitled,
"Well Dunn", on Jay Z's Life+Times YouTube channel.
The web show has featured celebrity guest co-chefs, such as Wale, Karlie Kloss, Cara
Delevingne, Joan Smalls, Chanel Iman and 2 Chainz among others.
[1] She was a guest on The Jonathan Ross Show
in March 2013, to discuss her career.
In December 2013, Dunn appeared in the music videos for "Yoncé" and "XO" from Beyoncé's
fifth self-titled studio album which is widely described as a "visual album" due to every
song being accompanied by a music video.
The videos were shot in Brooklyn and Coney Island, New York, respectively.
The "Yoncé" video directed by Ricky Saiz and features fellow models Joan Smalls and
Chanel Iman.
The video was inspired by the 1990 David Fincher video for "Freedom" by George Michael, which
also featured models, such as Naomi Campbell.
The "XO" video was directed by Terry Richardson and features Dunn alongside Jessica White
and Diandra Forrest.
She's appeared in both the 2012 and 2013 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
Personal life She has one child, Riley, a boy, born 8 December
2009 in London.
She had been with her boyfriend, the baby's father, for five years before he was arrested
for dealing cocaine two months after her son was born.
Riley has been diagnosed with Sickle-cell disease.
Jourdan divides her time between her homes in London and New York City.
She's friends with fellow models, Joan Smalls, Chanel Iman, Anais Mali, Cara Delevingne and
Karlie Kloss, who is godmother to her son Riley.
References
External links Style.com Photos of Jourdan Dunn
Harper's Bazaar interview with Jourdan Dunn Jourdan Dunn at the Fashion Model Directory