Who Is She: Jordan Grant, London's Consummate It Girl

Who Is She is a column that unveils the most elusive tastemakers on the internet.

The term "fashion girl" is an overworked cliché that I'd rather not use at this point, but let this be the 1% of cases where the phrase is actually applicable. If I could assemble all of the qualities that embody what it authentically means to live, breathe, and consume fashion, one of the first people that comes to mind is Jordan Grant.  

Quite literally, fashion is a resounding part of her life. She's the content director for Heat—a London-based commerce company "curating new luxury for a new generation of consumers." Geared toward a Gen-Z audience, the brand takes the viral sensation of mystery boxes to a whole new level vis a vis incremental drops including high-end designer pieces. Heat has recently secured seed funding from conglomerate LVMH among others, so it's fair to expect big things. Grant is the eyes and mind that scopes and curates brands featured within each mystery box. 

But aside from her Heat duties, she is a defining figure of the London fashion scene with the invites to back it up. She's a regular of every exclusive fashion party (Miu Miu and Loewe seem to particularly love her), and when Simon Porte Jacquemus convened his crew of muses to "sit" front row in row boats along the historical banks of Versailles, she was one of them. TikTok has even coined her a fashion icon.

Now onto another cliché—the pervasive fascination of "quiet luxury." Grant is probably its antithesis. As the British creative tells me over video chat, she's not a fan of the clean girl aesthetic—a sentiment which really shouldn't come as a surprise to any that's observed her bold wardrobe choices. Not many can pull off a full Schiaparelli look or earrings that jet out like static jellyfish tentacles, and so convincingly, but she throws them on as if they were simply black trousers made to coordinate with everything. Nothing is really off-limits when it comes to her style (unless it's soap brows!), which is precisely why she's on everyone's mood board. Taking a break from running around London doing fashion things and making top-tier TikToks, the city's consummate It girl explained why Miuccia Prada is "mother," why good glam and flashy accessories are always important, and the tenets of a stop-and-stare kind of outfit.

How did you get into fashion, and what was your upbringing like? 

When I was around 14 years old, my mom had a secondhand designer and vintage shop in Bath, which is where I'm from. I worked in her shop every weekend, and sometimes, I would go there after school. So that's kind of how I started to learn about different brands and vintage pieces as well as the resale value of things. But I was always just really into fashion. I loved all the pieces, and I loved dressing up. I think that's all I ever wanted to do. That was always my dream. I wanted to move to London to do fashion—I never really had my sights on anything else. 

Growing up, were you around a lot of fashionable people other than your mom?

Not really. I'll be honest. Bath is not a very fashion-forward place.

Did you go to school or university for fashion at all?

I did a BA program at the London College of Fashion for fashion marketing. Then as soon as I finished school, I started doing fashion PR and marketing, but throughout my time at university, I also did loads of different internships. I worked at Versace, Tom Ford, and Garrard. I was always trying to have different work experiences, and I loved it. Then as soon as I graduated from university, I went straight to Dubai to work for Harper's Bazaar Arabia as an intern. 

How did that happen? 

I always had in my mind that I wanted to work for a magazine—that was just always my thing. Vogue was launching in the Middle East, and I was just fascinated by that and the imagery in the Middle East, so I basically just hunted everyone down on LinkedIn, personally emailing them like, "Please, can I come and lend a hand?" Eventually, someone from Harper's Bazaar was like, "Yeah, cool, we actually have an event, and we really need people to help—can you come in like two weeks?" And I was like, "Yes!"

That's actually a good lesson in how to be tenacious and really go for what you want. 

I remember getting blocked from loads of companies as well. I was emailing so much. They would all start bouncing back, and I was like, "Okay they blocked me with a different email!"

During your time at Harper's Bazaar Arabia is when you started to gain a following on social media—what was that like?

Yeah, that's definitely where my following started to grow. I think people were just really interested to see what I was up to, like the different things I was doing. Whether it was organizing events or you know, it definitely looked glamorous, but it was long hours, and it was hard work. But I think it was fun and exciting, and I loved showing that as well. 

I lived in Dubai for four months, but I carried on writing for Harper's Bazaar when I got back to London. They actually offered me a job at the end of it! I was also managing their Instagram, and I really wanted to apply that skill set that I'd learned in social media over in London. So when I got back I was like, "Okay, let me go and see if I can do this in London and take on multiple clients," which I did.

How did you get involved with Heat?

Basically, I was working with the founder Joe [Wilkinson] on another company, and then shortly after, he started Heat. It was a small team then—like a team of three. So after he started it, he was like, "I want you to come work on Heat too." We had only ever met in person I think like once or twice and very briefly—we used to always just talk via email. [Joe Wilkinson and Mario Maher] then brought me on to do their launch campaign, manage their socials and their content as well as a bit of creative direction, so I was doing all of that. But obviously, in a startup, it's very "all hands on deck," so I was also helping source designers and pieces as well as packing items. It was a bit of everything, which was amazing! From then on, the company just grew.

That's definitely not a bad outcome! So the concept of Heat is sort of like these mystery drop boxes, right? 

We do one to two drops a month, and the customer doesn’t know what's going to be inside. However, we do kind of tease the brands that will be inside for that drop. We also have different boxes—we have a streetwear box, a contemporary box, a homeware box, and a super-brand box. We also have mono-branded boxes where it's just got one brand inside.

Do you help source the designers and the product that goes into the mystery boxes? 

For sure! I help curate the designers that go inside with the rest of the buying team, picking out the best pieces and then putting pieces together, too, because we essentially want to give the customer an outfit or at least a bag and shoes. But yes, putting those pieces together is really fun. 

You're basically styling people?

Yeah!

What do you look for when scouting emerging designers and names for Heat?

We like to combine hot, sought-after brands and pieces while putting people onto new brands that they might not be familiar with. So I think for me that would be brands like Knwls, Heaven, and Diesel. Obviously, some people know these brands, but sometimes, there are certain customers or regions that don't.

Clearly, you know what you're talking about when it comes to fashion—who are your top three designers, dead or alive? 

So the mother is Miuccia Prada, of course. I love Prada and always have. Then Glenn Martens and I really love what Daniel Roseberry is doing at Schiaparelli.

Yes! I personally endorse all three of those names. But definitely, Schiaparelli is having such a huge revival, and I'm so glad that people are appreciating it and its long-standing heritage.

It was crazy when Kim Kardashian wore Schiaparelli … two years ago, and everyone was like, "Oh my God, who is this emerging designer?" And I was like, "Oh my, I'm having a meltdown.'"

Crazy! So what are some names of emerging designers that you're currently into?

Okay, so I really love this designer that I'm wearing right now, Hugo Kreit. I actually have an addiction to his jewelry. He's amazing! I just love big costume jewelry in general. I'm also into Martine Rose and this brand called Vaillant Studio. Then there is this designer who makes these mega-fluffy boots and other just really cute shoes called Western Affair. 

You wear a ton of emerging labels, a lot of times before they hit the mainstream. How do you first discover these brands?

Sometimes, I even have this moment where I'm like, "Okay, I just wanna go and find new brands and small designers," so I'd like to go to Depop and have an hour-long rummage there. I'll just find cute niche brands or people making cute jewelry. But otherwise, it's Instagram. TikTok has put me onto a lot of good brands, too, I'll be honest. Sometimes, I just get in a TikTok hole, and I'll find some chick that has crazy style, and then I'm like scrolling through all her stuff and seeing what brands she likes.

You have a gift of taking pieces that don't look all that exciting—for instance, a super-preppy polo—and ultimately making them look cool and feel fun. How do you typically approach constructing an outfit once you get a piece? 

For me, it's over-accessorizing. I'll be like, "Let's add some bangs and add some earrings." I’ll ask, What lip are we doing? What eye are we doing? I think it's those two which tie it together—the accessories and the glam. So even if it is a plain dress, I'm gonna do a crazy hairstyle with it and some weird makeup—unless the outfit is screaming, which then maybe I won't go so crazy on the hair and makeup. But ultimately, I think it's about combining the hair, the glam with the look, and making it feel like part of an era.

How do you feel about trends? Any that you're loving or loving to hate?

The trend that I'm loving I guess is vintage—that always has been my vibe forever. I've always loved vintage pieces because of my mom's shop for sure, so now that vintage is back in, that's one trend I'm liking. And then trends that I'm not liking… Soap brows definitely need to leave the building. 

Since your outfits are so expansive aesthetically, are there any designer collections, past or present, that you find yourself referencing?

I think a standout moment is Miu Miu F/W 21, which was the show on the mountains. It was like with all these layers and stuff— loved that. The Chanel supermarket runway show, I always think about a lot.

Is there anybody who you look to for your inspiration?

I have so many photos saved on Pinterest and Instagram for glam, but in terms of style, it's hard—there's not a particular person. There are all these people that I find on Pinterest and Instagram. I'm like, who are they? But I think it's less about looking to people and more just looking at previous campaigns. One that stands out to me is from the Galliano-era Christian Dior in the 2000s. The girls are really sweaty, and they've got the big glasses on.

What's on your list of holy-grail fashion items?

One would be the Cartier Crash on a red crocodile strap. Also, the Chanel supermarket basket, which I've always wanted. At the moment, I'm just looking for really cute vintage Manolos for the summer. 

Is there something that you currently own that you're just like, "I love this so much I can't ever part with it"?

I'm gonna have to say it's probably my white mini Hermès Kelly, which I got in January in Paris—she's my baby girl!

Judging by your Instagram, you're big on travel—is there a favorite destination that you've been to recently?

In March, I went to a birthday on the Red Sea, and we sailed down the sea toward Egypt. It was incredible. It was like being on Mars basically. Some of the places we went to felt so uninhabited. We also went Jet-Skiing between these massive rocks, and there were little baby sharks all around us. But my favorite place ever is Capri. You feel like you're in a movie, just like old Italian glamor. 

Capri is one of the top places I want to go to this year—I keep hearing there are so many amazing places to shop there.

There are! They're small, but the selection is chef's kiss. 

Do you have a favorite place in London? 

For food, my favorite place is Gold in Notting Hill. The mushrooms on toast is delightful. And if I'm like, "I just wanna walk around," I love going to Regent's Park. 

Instagram or TikTok?

TikTok. Sometimes, I can spend hours on it. I think Instagram is more curated and more manufactured—for me anyway. TikTok is kind of like my fun place to be honest. 

What's the last great movie or TV show that you've seen?

The Real Housewives is my Super Bowl—I watched all of them. I also watched RocknRolla last week, which I've probably seen like 15 times. It's a classic for me. Any Guy Ritchie movie I love.

What’s cool to you right now?

I think investing in things that you are passionate about [and] exploring those passions. I've always been into homewares, so I went and did pottery classes. I'm also going to be doing a glass-blowing course. So these are just all the things that I'm passionate about, just like a personal hobby. I'm gonna put the time and money into it, and who knows what will happen?