jourdandunn

THEINTERVIEW

“Iam a mother first
and then a model”

JUGGLING THE SCHOOL RUN AND AN
INTERNATIONAL MODELING CAREER IS ALL
IN A DAY’S WORK FOR SUPERMODEL, AND FACE

OF MAYBELLINE, JOURDAN DUNN.

him off the breast milk so it wasn’t that wows at the school gates in the morning,

bad, but it was all about the quickest job but she insists that like every other working

and the one that’s nearby.” mum she has to prioritise getting her son

While on the surface Dunn seems to have dressed and out the door in the morning

taken motherhood in her stride – in person, rather than herself. “In my head I wanted

she is relaxed, friendly and down to earth – to be a mum who looked great in the

it has been anything but an easy ride. Her morning but in reality, no. Usually it’s just

son Riley, now six years old, was diagnosed me in sweatpants. During the day if I have

with sickle-cell disease as a baby, a blood to run to meetings I’m more polished, but

disorder that affects the shape of blood in the morning I’m trying to get this kid in

T oday’s most successful super- cells and the amount of oxygen that they the bathroom, I’m trying to get him into in
models tend to wear many
hats – from philanthropy, can carry, causing extreme pain and even his clothes. I don’t have time to do anything
film and music to fashion
design. However, Jourdan organ damage, which can last for days and really. Anyone who has kids knows the
Dunn has been perfecting
her own career balancing act since she higher susceptibility to infections. With no struggle.”
became a mother at 19, long before friends
Karlie and Cara decided being a model cure currently available, Dunn dedicated Even so, there’s no denying that Dunn is
alone would no longer cut the mustard if
one is to cement ‘super’ status. herself to raising awareness of the disorder, something special – both inside and out –

Carving out the successful international becoming an ambassador for the Sickle which is why two years ago she was invited
career that Dunn has as a single mother,
between London and New York, is perhaps Cell Disease Association of America. to become part of the Maybelline family, a
the most impressive accolade any woman
could boast, but like every working mother Dunn credits Riley as her motivation to brand she grew up with and of which she is
it would not have been possible without a
rock solid support system – her family and keep pushing herself in her career, admitting now the face. True to form though, when
more specifically her own mother. “Thank
god for my mother, if she wasn’t there it that were it not for him she might have asked what her favourite products from
would be a struggle. It’s about trying to
find the right balance.” tired of the demanding the Maybelline range are she

Dunn says that though she modelled until “In my head Imodelling lifestyle, not to chooses the multi-tasking
she was six months pregnant and couldn’t Nude palette eye shadow
fit into the clothes anymore – her most mention the perspective
notable moment coming when she sported motherhood gives her wanted to be
a conical baby bump on the runway for a mum who– she doesn’t sweat the (“That’s my favourite, I use
Jean Paul Gaultier – before reappearing 10 it all the time for day and
weeks after giving birth at London Fashion small stuff. Now, she is at night”) and a hard-working
Week. In reality it took nine months before looked great in
she fully immersed herself in work again the stage where the hard the morning mascara (“You can’t talk
and when she did, she chose jobs that work has paid off and about Maybelline without
worked for her needs. “I didn’t go straight she can pick and choose mentioning the mascaras, I
back into it, I enjoyed my time with my
baby. I was expressing my milk because I the shows she wants to but in reality, love the Lash Sensational”).
was still breastfeeding. Then I did a lot of do – a decision she bases no. Usually The busy life she leads has
jobs in New York but I made sure they were on relationships and who
quick jobs. When those jobs came around not only allowed her to give
it was about the time I was trying to wean
she “wants to show love it’s just me in Riley a life that would have
to.” This also allows sweatpants” been beyond her reach had
her to enjoy the shows she not pursued modelling,

that she does do. “I am but also to open his eyes to

very lucky that I am in a the possibilities that the world

position that I can choose holds for him. Does he fancy

what jobs I want to do and my agents, they a jet-setting lifestyle for himself? “He loves

are very understanding about my situation, it, he loves the fact that I travel to all these

that I am a mother first and then a model. different countries. We were talking about

So I just make it work. While everyone else it the other day he said, ‘Mommy you go to

is busy thinking about the next show, I’m all these places and I don’t get to go.’ So I

just thinking this is my only show and then I said, ‘Let’s make a list of all the places that

can go back and chill. So it’s more relaxing. you want to go’ and he said, “Right I want

It’s more of an enjoyable experience.” to go to Tokyo, I want to go to India and

It’s clear that Dunn has her priorities in he listed all these cool places because he

order, and to look at her you’d be hard- thinks I go there all the time and he wants

pushed to find someone more glamorous; to go there too. Because of my life he’s very

you’d be forgiven for thinking that she clued in about the world.”