There is a subtle charisma and conciliating vibe that Jordan Subaran gives off, which is intriguing to say the very least. There is an air of impartiality and unassumingness, which one can derive from her reserved demeanor. Despite her modest aura, Jordan’s determination to establish herself as a top Caribbean architect is immense, and could easily be paralleled to the refined nature of her wit and sense of humor.
Though unimpressed by the hype and superficiality, Jordan balances the intensity of her architectural pursuits at the University of Toronto by modeling in her spare time. “I never got consumed by the attention and putting all my energy into being more societally attractive or trying to climb a social ladder. What makes me happy, is doing things that make me stronger and make me wiser” she frankly stated.
Modeling is evolving into a bit more than a hobby for Jordan. International agencies have their eyes fixated on her, anticipating her meteoric rise in the fashion industry. Jordan pointed out the irony in her journey by stating that “When I was much younger, I didn’t consider myself to be that beautiful! I didn’t care about looks in the first place. I was fascinated by other things… Yeah, I liked to take pictures but I never thought I was great looking! I just really enjoyed learning things and expressing myself through singing, drawing, or even playing my guitar.”
She confesses her longstanding curiosity with the fashion industry by expressing that: “I think I was always intrigued by modeling my entire life, because I grew up seeing pictures of my mother as Miss Universe Jamaica 1990 – Michele Hall. I remember going through her photo albums and naturally, I wanted to emulate my mother. I’ve always liked to take photos even when I wasn’t the most photogenic. It was just fun for me! As someone who appreciates art, I’ve also dabbled in photography! I always thought it was interesting how beautiful and powerful women looked in these images and I wanted to be like that! I always would be “nuff” and put myself in front of the camera and pose! Even though I’m naturally not that outspoken and kind of reserved, in front of the camera that’s when I would unleash something different.”
Regardless of how her modeling career pans out, the emphasis of Jordan’s artistic proclamations will forever be defined by architecture. Since she was a little girl, Jordan always had an inquisitive mind, that was driven by a deep curiosity and fascination about how buildings were designed. Design is all about the problem –solving and Jordan’s practicality makes her a perfect fit for that world stating that:” It’s all about creating architecture that’s suitable to the landscape and space it’s occupying. I love architecture that has a balance of both form and function, that beautifies the area but also makes sense in terms of budget and other constraints.”
Irrespective of how miniscule or inconsequential they may seem, Jordan Subaran is obsessed with details! Understanding the subtle differences between Doric order columns and Ionic order columns; while calculating the dimensions of a proper floor plan, are just a few fundamentally nuanced details an architect must grasp. Jordan will be the first to tell you, that she is not a ‘finished article’ as an architect because she’s still in training. However her progress at the University of Toronto thus far, justifies why the expectations we have for her career are rooted in optimism.
“I’ve always wanted to be an architect because I’ve been interested in science and the visual arts all my life. I first fell in love with drawing! My mom is also an interior architect, so that in combination with the subjects I enjoyed in school made it seem like the right path for me to go towards. I wanted a way that I could express my creativity and also make an impact on the world while I’m alive”
The eye-catching allure of her natural curls, flawless bronze skin, and fierce gaze, are the details of Jordan’s physical resplendence that are most captivating. It’s almost as if you can sense Jordan’s impish wit, just by the way she stares into the lens of a camera. “Once I started taking more pictures, started going after different opportunities, and seeing how cool the photos came out, I grew in confidence. Often you’re behind the camera and it feels awkward or the pose feels weird …then you see the finished product and you see yourself looking amazing! It made me want to keep going at it.”
Peer pressure is usually highlighted, as a pervasive influence of negativity in young people’s lives but Jordan acknowledges how the recommendations of her peers was a motivating factor, in her continued pursuit of modeling stating that: “ Opinions from my peers impacted me because I always heard ‘Jordan you’re so tall, you should model!’ Socially or compared to other people, I felt like I stood out a lot because I was so tall but within the community of modeling where that body type and height was more accepted, it made me feel a sense of comfort which in essence made me feel like it was something I had to do”
There is an unwavering sense of self –assuredness about Jordan Subaran that is layered, appeasing but also measured : “I’m not focused on what other people perceive of me! I try to do things for myself. So if someone comes up to me saying, that they didn’t expect me to be that smart because of the way I look, I don’t get offended.…. I’m not living to impress anyone and whatever your opinion is of me – I’ll listen to it but it’s not affecting my life.”
