{"id":69008,"date":"2022-12-12T18:38:57","date_gmt":"2022-12-12T18:38:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?post_type=articles&p=69008"},"modified":"2022-12-12T18:38:57","modified_gmt":"2022-12-12T18:38:57","slug":"jourdan-dunn-grazia-gazette-aspen-issue","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/jourdan-dunn-grazia-gazette-aspen-issue\/","title":{"rendered":"Jourdan Dunn Falls Down the Rabbit Hole in Fantastical Fashions"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Jourdan Dunn wearing Dolce & Gabbana dress, stockings, shoes, us.dolcegabbana.com. Photographed by Ellen von Unwerth; Creative Direction by Dane\u0301 Stojanovic & Marne Schwartz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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All products featured on GRAZIA are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, GRAZIA may earn an affiliate<\/span> commission.<\/i><\/p>\n

Picture this Parisian mise-en-sce\u0300ne. Perched atop a mirrored table laden with delicate macarons and ornately decorated confections, British supermodel, actress and activist Jourdan Dunn<\/a> coquettishly throws a handful of cake at the camera. Iconic photographer Ellen von Unwerth waltzes around the 19th-century, chandelier- strewn surroundings of La Galerie Bourbon with a startlingly realistic replica hare as her unlikely dance partner. A giant clock rests against an antique fireplace, keeping a watchful eye over the proceedings, and a super-sized game of chess is in progress on the checkerboard floor. This can only be GRAZIA\u2019s Mad Hatter\u2019s Tea Party celebrating the color, joy and surrealism of the season by way of the most fanciful creations the fashion world has imagined, and everyone\u2019s invited…<\/p>\n

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ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND<\/h4>\n

Jourdan Dunn\u2019s journey from Primark-to-Prada is something of a modern-day fairytale. She was scouted by Storm Model Management in 2006 in London\u2019s Hammersmith outpost of the fast-fashion emporium before becoming the first model of color to walk for Miuccia Prada in over a decade and winning the British Fashion Award for Model of the Year in 2008. Yet despite her accolades and achievements, her biggest pinch-me moments are far more modest.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know what? It\u2019s still seeing my face in a magazine or on a billboard,\u201d Dunn admits. \u201cPeople say to me, \u2018Jourdan I\u2019ve seen you on the tube or on the bus or in Selfridges or in the airport.\u2019 Even when I walk down my local high street and I\u2019m just being Low-Key J and I see myself, I still think, \u2018Oh yeah, that\u2019s me.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Wait a minute, who\u2019s Low-Key J? \u201cI have my moments when I\u2019m just in my tracksuit and I just want to try to be low key,\u201d laughs the model and mother of 12-year-old Riley. \u201cMy son says, \u2018Mum, of course people are going to still recognize you. That\u2019s not a disguise, mum. That\u2019s not low key!\u2019 But yeah, Low- Key J is just no makeup, sunglasses, and just very, very chilled.\u201d Dunn is now at the stage in her career where she can pursue the projects that truly resonate with her. \u201cEveryone has a choice, it\u2019s either yes or no. I really prioritize what is important to me. So just because something comes up, I don\u2019t feel pressure to go places just because I was invited or to take that job or do that show. I just do everything with intention, with purpose and what feels right to me and authentic to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Take the GRAZIA<\/em> cover shoot, for example. \u201cIt was so much fun!\u201d she recalls. \u201cWhen I saw the concept of Alice in Wonderland, I knew I was going to be living a childhood fantasy. On set, there were cakes everywhere! I just love it when the team is creative, when there\u2019s a theme from the glam references to the props on set. For one scene, I was laughing like a villain, then having a food fight \u2013 actually getting messy and being creative. Everything was magical. It\u2019s wonder, it\u2019s mystery, so automatically you\u2019re going to feel that you want to bring it alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

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CHANEL cardigan, turtleneck, (800) 550-0005; Agatha Ruiz de la Prada headband, agatharuizdelaprada.com<\/a>. Photographed by Ellen von Unwerth; Creative Direction by Dane\u0301 Stojanovic & Marne Schwartz.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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DOWN THE REPRESENTATION RABBIT HOLE<\/h4>\n

Like so many trailblazers before her, Dunn found herself on a path that she says she felt she often had to walk alone. At the start of her career, the model cites a sense of having to compete against other models of color.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did see other models \u2014 there was Joan Smalls and Chanel Iman but the industry kind of separated us,\u201d notes Dunn. \u201cSometimes if it wasn\u2019t going to be me doing a show, it would definitely be Chanel. So, in one sense, I wasn\u2019t alone because I used to see the girl, but the fashion world created this rivalry or allowed this tension between us when it really wasn\u2019t necessary at all. So that in another sense, yes, I did feel alone.\u201d \u201cIn my first season, I remember Chanel came up to me and she was so sweet. But [the dynamic between us] started to change once I began doing shows because people were in her ear and in my ear. So we just had a conversation. We agreed, \u2018Girl, this is silly. What are we actually doing?\u2019 We said, \u2018We actually like each other. Why are we listening to outsiders and why are we breathing energy into this when there\u2019s no beef?\u2019\u201d she continues. \u201cThere\u2019s room for everybody, not just one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, Dunn sits in a better place and doesn\u2019t look at others\u2019 success as a reflection of her own. \u201cI don\u2019t think, \u2018Why not me?\u2019 I genuinely believe when one door closes, another one opens,\u201d she says. \u201cThat has happened throughout my career. And I think it\u2019s important that you stay focused on what you\u2019re doing. Like in life in general, comparing yourself to others is never a good idea. You never know what their journey is or how they had to get there.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Givenchy dress, boots, givenchy.com<\/a>. Photographed by Ellen von Unwerth; Creative Direction by Dane\u0301 Stojanovic & Marne Schwartz.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to Dunn, this shift came about thanks to the supportive spirit of social media. \u201cIf someone does a cover or a campaign, others are reposting and commenting and everyone\u2019s championing each other,\u201d she says. \u201cIt really does feel like a sisterhood. And when we go to shows or on set, there\u2019s more of us now. It\u2019s hard to be standoffish or have that kind of tension. It used to be very cliquey, but because of social media, the girls have come together now and it\u2019s not, you know, the Russians or the Black models, it\u2019s just everybody supporting everybody, which is beautiful to see.\u201d With the rapid rise in representation, there\u2019s no question that brands are being more diverse in their casting, but does it feel authentic to Dunn, and does this matter? \u201cI think at this point, it\u2019s just beautiful to see that I\u2019m not just counting one model of a color. There\u2019s 10 or more and also different shades, and models wearing braids. I love that. Does it feel like it\u2019s a bit forced sometimes? Yes. And maybe in time, it\u2019s just going to be the norm, because if it wasn\u2019t going to be forced, we wouldn\u2019t be having this conversation,\u201d she sighs. \u201cI feel like it\u2019s going to take some time until it\u2019s not going to be a thing where I\u2019m going to be talking about it. It\u2019s just going to be normal.\u201d<\/p>\n

For change to be permanent and not performative, she believes that diversity needs to start in the design room with a wider inclusion of cultures in the roles that matter. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing a lot more designers of color now. That\u2019s also the problem. It\u2019s not just about on the runway, it\u2019s the editorial, and behind the scenes. We\u2019re not fully there, but we\u2019re definitely making really big strides.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Thom Browne jacket, shirt, corset, tie, pants, hat, shoes, thombrowne.com<\/a>; Cartier bracelets, cartier.com<\/a>. Photographed by Ellen von Unwerth; Creative Direction by Dane\u0301 Stojanovic & Marne Schwartz.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS<\/h4>\n

Reflecting on her years in the industry, Dunn\u2019s words of wisdom to the next generation would be to look after yourself. \u201cYou don\u2019t need validation from others. You validate yourself. You love yourself. You trust yourself. I think that\u2019s very, very important,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard especially when you\u2019re a young model and you\u2019re maybe from a different country, or you don\u2019t speak the language. You might have responsibilities at home, and then you\u2019re putting your trust in other people when it comes to your career and your life. I think it\u2019s really good that people are learning the power of saying no. Creating boundaries even in a workplace is very, very important.\u201d<\/p>\n

But her own self-love manifesto goes far beyond repeating a morning mantra. \u201cFor me, it starts with going to bed listening to affirmation music, then waking up at 5 a.m., meditating, reading, and journaling. I surround myself with crystals and, every time I travel, I take sage. That keeps me grounded.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s her intuition that continues to serve her well. \u201cIf I feel any tension, I take a moment to acknowledge it, go outside, and breathe. And even if I\u2019m in the middle of my hair and makeup, if I feel a certain way, I would just honor my body, honor myself, and do that,\u201d she says. \u201cBecause I\u2019ve always noticed whenever I don\u2019t do that, I regret it and I have a breakdown or experience anxiety. For me, it\u2019s just really listening to my body, taking the time, not rushing, not people pleasing, and setting healthy boundaries.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Miu Miu jacket, skirt, boots, miumiu.com. Photographed by Ellen von Unwerth; Creative Direction by Dane\u0301 Stojanovic & Marne Schwartz.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cBoundaries is a new thing for me. I realized that I didn\u2019t know what boundaries really were,\u201d she adds. \u201cPutting those in place with family, friends and work is very important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dunn also credits her son Riley for teaching her patience and the concept of unconditional love. \u201cThat\u2019s the one relationship I\u2019ve been in where I love him regardless,\u201d she says. And at the age of 12, Riley is beginning to realize what an empowering role model his mother really is. \u201cRecently he said to me, \u2018Mum, I\u2019m so proud of you. You bought this house for us, you do this for us. I\u2019m proud of you,\u2019\u201d she says. \u201cHe gets it. He lets me know that he\u2019s proud of me all the time and that he\u2019s very appreciative of everything, so that fills my heart with joy because I do it for him, for us. So for him to acknowledge it, that fills me up.\u201d<\/p>\n

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THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR<\/h4>\n

With little left to achieve in the modeling world, Dunn enrolled in London\u2019s Identity School of Acting, a company which counts John Boyega among its alumni. \u201cIt was the most humbling experience for me because I was always told that I have a natural, raw talent [for acting] so I thought, \u2018I\u2019m going to just like breeze through this, I got this!\u2019\u201d Dunn recalls.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey put me in the advanced level, and when my end-of- the-term performance was graded, I actually dropped down. I went down to intermediate while others either stayed the same or went higher. Then my ego started to come into play. \u2018That person over me?\u2019 I really started to question everything. And then that\u2019s when I had to stop. I saw what I was doing, and I told myself, \u2018No, I\u2019m comparing someone else\u2019s journey to my journey.\u2019 And when I really looked at it and asked myself, \u2018Jourdan, can you honestly say that you were putting in 100 percent? Would you turn up every week knowing what you were supposed to be doing? Were you doing the homework, were you practicing the lines for two days or on the day?\u2019 These are all the things that when I had to break it down, I realized no wonder they chose that person because they were putting in the work and you can\u2019t charm your way through it and look pretty. You really can\u2019t fake it. It was a humbling lesson.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the process, Dunn discovered her supermodel muscle memory wasn\u2019t an advantage at all. \u201cIt\u2019s so different because I realize as a model we\u2019re so aware of our angle, of our face. When you\u2019re acting, you have to just let go and not be so aware. You can\u2019t be scared to do an ugly cry or look stupid. You just have to let go. It can help in some ways, but no, I had to unlearn some things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Along with her ambassadorship for Sickle Cell Disease Association of America<\/a> \u2014 a condition that affects her son Riley \u2014 and fronting campaigns to promote Black Love<\/a>, Dunn\u2019s career pivot from modeling to acting feels part of a conscious effort to rewrite the script and amplify her voice on behalf of her communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think if anyone has a platform, it\u2019s a gift. So I do believe my gift is to speak on matters like sickle cell and Black Love, and I feel if I were to not say anything, it\u2019s a slap in the face to the universe. It\u2019s actually a privilege, and not everybody is able to do that. I\u2019ve always been quite insecure about speaking, but now as I\u2019m older, that concept to me of using my voice is a gift. Speaking and getting a message across is a blessing.\u201d Finally, the fairy tale ending we all deserve.<\/p>\n

Read GRAZIA Gazette: Aspen<\/em> featuring cover star Jourdan Dunn:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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