shows. Her motives for an early return came from her son and the motivation he brought. The model said "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."
Since her strong and regular appearance in catwalk shows, Dunn has also starred in numerous campaigns for brands. Some of the brands she has collaborated with include Burberry, Balmain, Calvin Klein, Yves Saint Laurent, DKNY, John Galliano, and Victoria's Secret. Another highlight of the models career was starring in the campaigns for Rihanna's collection for British high-street brand River Island in 2012. The model became the face of 'Rihanna for River Island'.
Jourdan has never been afraid to admit what she believes and revealed her disgust for the lack of ethnic minority groups in the fashion industry. The model revealed she had been rejected from a Dior show 'for her boobs' but claimed it was because of her skin colour because it 'usually happens'. The model made a stand against discrimination in Miss Vogue when she said “I find it weird when agents say, ‘You’re the only black girl booked for the show. Isn’t it great?’ Why is that great? I don’t know why people applaud designers for having just one ethnic model." Dunn went on to say “The people who control the industry… They say if you have a black face on a magazine cover it won’t sell – but there’s no real evidence for that".
Regardless of her issues in regards to ethnicity in the industry, Jourdan has used her ethnicity to her advantage. She
recently starred in Burberry's Spring/Summer 2015 campaign with model sensation Naomi Campbell. The two wore classic Burberry trench coats in lilac and other metallic and refreshing colours.
Jourdan landed herself on the cover of February's issue of British Vogue, which is the first time a black woman has appeared on the cover in 12-years. The last black model to appear on the cover was Naomi Campbell back in 2002. Dunn was on the magazine's cover in 2008 alongside other white models so getting a solo shot has been a huge accomplishment.
Jourdan is slowly but surely changing the world of fashion and let’s hope her actions bring out the best of industry. ▪
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