After raising five children and a near-death experience, former model Wendy Jacobs hopes for another shot in the spotlight
After raising five children and a near-death experience, former model Wendy Jacobs hopes for another shot in the spotlight
Wendy Jacobs is right on time for our interview. It’s a welcomed surprise, knowing she is a mother to five, and that time must be an ever-precious commodity to her. Still, she shows up at the Orchard Road cafe and greets me warmly and calmly, despite, she admits sheepishly, almost losing her car keys just 10 minutes before.
It takes a great deal to get Wendy ruffled. Though it’s been almost 20 years since she last graced our cover, it’s clear the South African stunner still knows her way around a shoot. At 42, Wendy possesses the energy of models half her age, nailing pose after pose as she transforms from a “soccer mum”, in sneakers and track pants, to a Romantic- inspired fashion maven in a flowy Prada blouse, and a sleek powerhouse in a Johanna Ortiz romper.
She can be bitingly funny and self- deprecating, too: When the styling team worries that her romper is too short, she dismisses their concerns. “I’m fine with it, as long as you all don’t mind looking at my old arse,” she laughs.
In 1998, the glowing model appeared on our August cover cradling her first son, Irfan, then 11 months, in her arms while beaming with pride. Married to Singapore’s legendary footballer Fandi Ahmad, Wendy remembers the excitement of that shoot at their former family home in Bukit Timah.
“At the time, I was a first-time mum, a little nervous about this child who was attracting so much attention. But at the same time, I had so much joy being a young mother. I brought Irfan with me everywhere; even to shoots and jobs. I did that cover for The Weekly with Irfan because I wanted to show women that you could have a baby and still look good, and have a career,” says Wendy, who also used to run a boutique selling children’s clothes.
Fast forward 20 years, and Wendy is now an experienced mum, with five children aged between 11 and 20. Her sons, Irfan, aged 20, and Ikhsan, 18, are following in their father’s footsteps, training with Singapore’s national soccer team; and daughter Iman, 17, is working part-time and modelling while on a gap year from her studies. Wendy proudly describes her brood, “Irfan is the serious one, Ikhsan is the loving one, Iman is the reserved one, Ilhan, 14, is Mr Smiley, and Iryan, 11, is truly the baby of the family. Thank God I have five kids – the four have grown up, but I still have my youngest baby at home with me!”
At our shoot, Wendy’s “baby” is wide-eyed and excited, relishing his chance to share the spotlight with his mother. “Iryan was asking me what labels he would be wearing: He is such a fashionista!” Wendy shares, laughing. “But he had a great time, and so did I. It’s always a bit special when you’re working with a family member.”
WENDY THE FIGHTER
At first glance, Wendy’s story may seem like a fairytale come to life. Leaving South Africa for Singapore to model at 19, she met and fell in love with Singapore’s favourite footballing son Fandi, and managed to successfully balance her career with raising her children.
But in 2008, tragedy struck after Wendy fell in her bathroom, and came down with a mysterious illness which left her bedridden and wheelchair-bound for over a year. She suffered seizures and a near-fatal cardiac arrest. In interviews, she’s admitted that her memories of that time remain hazy.
“It’s a part of my life I prefer not to dwell on,” she says. “Now, I am much better, but I have my good days and my bad days. On good days, I can be up and about doing everything, and on bad days, I could be in hospital.
“The illness has made me thankful for my family, who has supported me through that rough time. And I’m grateful to still be alive. I feel that there’s a reason I’m still here, and there’s something left for me to do.”
With former supermodels like Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington still holding their own in the modelling business, Wendy is hopeful that she can make her comeback, as she “really misses it”. But the fashion industry can be brutal for women in their 40s, and Wendy knows it well. “If you ask people in the industry, who models better: An experienced model in her 40s, or a fresh 20-year-old, they will definitely say it’s the older model. But unfortunately, the client wants the younger face. It’s the reality of the business.
“We women in our 40s have a lot to offer; we’re mature, we know our stuff, and we work very hard. Back in my day, we models didn’t just stand around waiting to be dressed. We’d put on everything ourselves and work the camera as soon as the shoot started, because there was no time to waste. There wasn’t any Photoshop back then either – if you had a pimple, you couldn’t work! So we really had to take care of ourselves and our skin.”
As The Weekly celebrates its 20th anniversary, Wendy muses that she, too, has matured with time. “Anniversaries are always a great opportunity to reflect. When I think back on my life 20 years ago and now, I would tell that young girl, ‘Keep doing what you’re doing, because everything will work out.’
“I’m not just Fandi Ahmad’s wife, or a mother of five. No matter what I’ve done, I’ve always been Wendy Jacobs. I’m still that young girl who came to Singapore... very hardworking, and a real fighter.
“After all these years, my children have grown up, and I’ve taken care of them. I’ve evolved from a model to a mother to an entrepreneur… and I feel like now is my time to shine. To all the ladies out there, I’d say don’t give up on your hopes and dreams even if you have had children… because I’m still dreaming.”
The illness has made me thankful for my family, who has supported me through that rough time. And I’m grateful to still be alive. I feel that there’s a reason I’m still here, and there’s something left for me to do
FASHION DIRECTION: JANICE PIDDUCK
PHOTOS: JOEL LIM/CALIBRE PICTURES
STYLING: SHAUN CHEN
HAIR: MARC TENG
MAKEUP: KEITH BRYANT LEE, USING DIOR
WENDY’S SCRAPBOOK PHOTOS: SPH LIBRARY, INSTAGRAM @WENDYJACOBS
