Candace Jordan: Life is a Party…and so Much More
Candace Jordan: Life is a Party…and so Much More
Candace Jordan. Photographed by Isaac Alvarez. Venue Glessner House Museum.
Candace Jordan: Life is a Party…and so Much More
Candace Jordan: Life is a Party…and so Much More
Candace Jordan. Photographed by Isaac Alvarez. Venue Glessner House Museum.
She is known around Chicago for her blogging savvy, with her own website and columns for local publications. She is known for her style, which culminated in a custom lipstick color with Camp Cosmetics last year. She is known for being a woman who frequents all the best spots in town, as she was voted “Most Social Scenester” for RackedChicago.com and named “Chicago’s Unofficial Hostess” by AOL’s City’s Best.
But Candace Jordan doesn’t want to be known for just one thing alone, and this glamorous socialite is much more than a pretty face with a witty pen.
Jordan began modeling at the young age of 13, and her face has graced everything from a Times Square billboard to the big screen with Tom Cruise in “Risky Business.” Some women would have stopped at those career zeniths, but Jordan truly hit her stride when she settled in Chicago with husband Chuck Jordan. A wedding at the iconic Drake Hotel in 1989 was the perfect way to begin a new chapter in her Chicago life.
Since then, Jordan has been involved with multiple philanthropic organizations across the Windy City, from Women’s Board of the Joffrey Ballet Company to the Ronald McDonald Charities to the PAWS Development Board.
“Nothing is impossible for Candace,” Helen Melchior, who sponsored her for the Joffrey Ballet women’s board, told Chicago Magazine in 2010. “You should see her fundraise.”
And fundraise she has! She is the former vice president of the Joffrey Ballet’s Women’s Board and a founding member for Common Threads Advisory Board, Chef Art Smith and Jesus Salgueiro’s national healthy eating initiative for kids. She was also a founding member of the Ronald McDonald House Auxiliary Women’s Board at Lurie Children’s Hospital. And in keeping with her fashionable past, Jordan co-founded The Joffrey Ballet’s “Couture & Cocktails” in 2005, raising more than $1 million for the ballet’s programs and performances including dance and educational outreach opportunities for Chicago’s youth. She also co-chaired the Joffrey Ballet’s Spring Celebration Gala with Melchior in 2012, which was a record breaker at the time.
In addition to organizing events to benefit a wide range of charities, she also covers those occasions and more as one of the original bloggers for ChicagoNow.com, and on her award-winning internet show, “Candid Candace TV” (YouTube). She is also the Social Columnist for the Chicago Tribune with her column, Candid Candace, appearing every Sunday in the paper’s Life & Style section.
Restaurateur Jerry Kleiner has gone so far as to boast, “If Candace is there, it must be a good party.” With her web series and blogs, Jordan is able to transport the party to Chicagoans and viewers all over the world. She brings her fans in, and shines a dynamic light on the city, as well as drawing attention to the many causes she supports. With a large worldwide readership for her Candid Candace blog, Jordan seems to just be getting started.
But despite her staunch fan base, she considers herself to be just one of many Chicago women making their mark. In an interview for the luxury website, Luxe File Chicago, Jordan said she prides herself on being a being a part of the Windy City’s hard working female population.
“I think Chicago is well known for its common sense and hard work ethic. A person who has both these qualities has the perfect combination.”
It looks like Candace Jordan is well on her way to Chicago perfection.
