Photo: ‘IT’ GIRL - With Montreal and Toronto under her belt, Sarah Jordan hopes to model in New York soon. – Photo Courtesy Chantal Gallant
By Katie Ryan
She hijacked the headlines during the Montreal fashion weeks and is swiftly becoming the model of choice – or the new ‘it’ girl – for many designers.
Nineteen-year-old Sarah Jordan is a long way from her home she shared with her four sisters in Lloydminster, now that she struts down catwalks, living her dream as one of Canada’s up and coming models.
“Yes, yes, yes, I love it,” Jordan said quickly and enthusiastically of her chosen career path.
The former Alison Lamont Dance student attributes her early dance training as one of the reasons she finds herself at home and comfortable in front of the camera.
“I have actually danced down half of a runway before,” laughed Jordan, during an interview with the Source.
“In terms of movement and how to move in front of a camera, it really, really helped – the placement of my body. And because I have taken so many different styles of dance I feel it helps me to be a bit more versatile and be able to see the vision the client or the photographer is trying to create and really get into that mood.”
Packing up her bags once she graduated from high school, Jordan headed for Montreal and followed in the footsteps of her older sister who once modeled.
“I went to university for a year when I got to Montreal and I really didn’t like that,” said Jordan, who put down the books and hit the runway, kick starting her modeling career.
“Honestly, it started out a little slowly. I feel like I took a bit longer to get into it, I took my time with it really figuring out the industry. It’s not something you get right away. Now this past season has really been a whirlwind, it’s really picked up.”
The 5-foot-11 beauty spent three months in Milan prior to Christmas and since she’s returned to Canada, she’s been busy with runway and editorial work.
“Keeping everything in balance and keeping everything in check,” said Jordan of her biggest challenges with the industry. “When you are working with your body you have to really watch your stress levels and things like that in case you get a breakout or gain a bit of weight. You really have to watch things like that I find.
“Also, staying very positive and very professional all the time. But,” she added with a laugh, “that’s not so challenging.”
Touted as ‘the one to watch’ by many in the fashion industry is flattering, but Jordan strives to remain grounded and gracious, working hard in the fickle industry.
“It’s a little bit unexpected,” she laughed. “I mean, I’m grateful and I hear the term and I’m like okay, but I try and stay very humble with it. I am very excited with everything that is going on right now, but that’s as far as it goes. ‘The one to watch’ – there’s lot of them, so I am happy to be up there, that’s for sure.”
Jordan models for three agencies right now, Specs (Montreal), Elite (Toronto) and Icemodels (Milan), with her eye now on the Big Apple.
“I’d like to get to New York, that is what we are working on right now. So, hopefully I will be situated in New York by the fall,” she said, crediting her family’s support for much of her success.
“I think a lot of the time they believed in me more than I have. I really couldn’t ask for anything else.”