2019-09-01 Cosmopolitan South Africa

fearof ‘beingcancelled’

andthedisconnectbetween

peopleonlineandin real

life.‘TheInternetfeelsso

entitledto haveopinions

abouteverything,buta lot

of it is bullshit.Thesearereal

people,withreallives.People

aresodetachedthatthey

don’tfeelempathy,theydon’t

feelbad,theydon’trealise

thattheonemessagethat

yousentlaughingat someone

couldbethemessage

thatpushesthatperson

offtheledge.’

Throughoutourchat,Jordyn

is openandthoughtful,

takinghertimeto articulate

exactlyhowshefeels,even

thoughshe’sreadyto put

allof thisbehindherand

focusonhercareeragain:

she’sgota rangeof hair

extensionswithEasilocks,an

Eylurecollaborationandan

inclusivesportswearcompany,

Secndnture.Jordyn’sinstinctive

businessethiccontinues

to driveher.Perhapsit’s

because,afterherdad

passedawaytwoyears

ago,shefilledherlifewith

workandexercisebecame

hertherapy.Duringthat

grievingperiod,shelost

weight,andfacedquestions

overwhethershewasstill

a body-positiveadvocate.

‘I feellikebeingbodypositive

meanswantingto bethebest

versionof yourself.If youwant

to beskinny,bigor whatever

youwantto be,youhave

everyrightto bethat,as

longasyou’rebeinggood

to yourbody.’

Herhairrangeis another

passionproject,bornfrom

herownexperiences.‘I’ve

beenthroughsucha [journey],

especiallyasa blackgirl,’

saysJordyn.‘Growingup,

therearealwaysstoriesof

gettingyourhairdone,or

yourmumbrushingyourhair,

tryingto tameit.’ Shesmilesat

thememory.‘Theneighbours

wouldthinkI waskillingyou,’

laughshermumasshelooks

on,beforetellingmeabout

thetimewhena relative

relaxedJordyn’shairwithout

herpermission,leavingher

fuming.‘I’vegrownto not

havea tenderheadat all

andI enjoygettingmyhair

braidednow,’addsJordyn,

whobeggedherdadto

lethergetherfirstweave.

Despitethelabelsthatpeople

buildourrelationships with our

familyand God, and come

backtogether one day and

bestronger and happier.’ It’s

beenilluminating for her to

figureoutwho she is and who

shecantrust. ‘A lot of people

canbearound when things

aregood, but you don’t know

who’sreally around until

thingsarebad.’

I askwhat impression she

hopespeople take away from

thisinterview. ‘It’s not about

publicstatements for me and

it’sunfortunate that something

soprivatehad to happen

publicly...’ she tails off, before

adding,‘Let’s stick together.

Theworldis so crazy. Our

politics,our wars, our this,

thatandthe other, the last

thingweneed is to start going

againsteach other about

thingsonsocial media. Let’s

bebetterhumans and learn

fromourmistakes.’

Shestrikes me as someone

determined to look forwards,

notbackwards. ‘I don’t know

what’snext. Knowing me,

I mightwake up one day

andbelike, “I’m moving to

Peru!”’Aswe emerge from

ourquietcorner of the hotel,

a waiterrecognises Jordyn

andtellsher he is a huge fan.

Sheandher mum give him

a quicksqueeze. As I’m

poisedto leave, she turns and

softlysays, ‘I’ve had to grow

upin frontof everyone’s eyes

• between losing my dad,
  this,relationships, whatever
  it is. I’vehad to deal with so
  much,[but] my life could be
  wayworse.’ She’s got the rest
  of herlifeahead of her, and
  something tells me the world
  willbewatching intently to
  seewhatJordyn Woods
  doesnext.

47

COSMOPOLITAN.CO.ZA | SEPTEMBER 2019

T H E

STORIES

BEHIND

THE POSTS

FIRST POST

‘You know when you’re

[first] on Instagram and

you just post anything?

That was me then –

I think I was in Malibu.’

HILLARY CLINTON

‘I was at a baby

shower. I had met her

once before so said

hello and she said she

remembered me – she’s

super-nice.’

MY MUM

‘She’s the closest person

in my life. It means

the world having

a supportive woman who

is also a best friend.

She’s taught me to

always have integrity.’

WILL SMITH

‘That was 2001, I was

four. Uncle Willy [who

Jordyn’s sound-engineer

dad worked with in the

‘90s] and my father,

they’re like my

two dads.’

‘Kylie is

m y h o m i e.

I love her’

placeonblackwomen’shair,

definingwhatconstitutes

‘good’or ‘bad’,Jordynhas

createda brandanda space

wherewomenfeelableto

expressthemselves,weave

or noweave.‘Hairhelpsme

switchmyidentity.BadHair...

Whatis [that]?Thereis no

suchthing.It growsoutof

yourhead.It’sa partof you.’

Aftera traumaticfew

months,thefuturelooksbright

forJordyn,buthowdoesit

feelto benavigatingallof this

• goodandbad– withouther
  bestfriendKyliebyherside?
  There’sa pause,andI can
  tellshe’sapprehensive.‘I love
  her.That’smyhomie.I hope
  everythingfallsintoplace
  andthatwecanallgrowand

COVER STAR

ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY

INSTAGRAM/@JORDYNWOODS

STYLING

SAIREY STEMP

SENIOR

FASHION ASSISTANT

MADDY ALFORD

FASHION ASSISTANTS

NATALIE ZANNIKOS AND REMI

LAWRENCE

HAIR

MICHELLE SULTAN/THE ONLY AGENCY

MAKEUP

FRANCESCA ABRAHAMOVITCH