She’s known as an actress, but another lifetime might have seen January Jones standing alongside the likes of Natasha Poly on Versace’s catwalk instead of being solely the face of their campaign. That Miss Jones began adulthood pursuing the dream of being a model is a fact that I did not know, but it’s a fact that doesn’t quite surprise me. A case of art imitating life, her Mad Men character Betty Draper’s life tells a similar story, while the photo shoots that have been a part of Jones’ career since leave one with little doubt that her looks and figure are certainly amongst her strengths. It is her feature in the May 2011 issue of W magazine that cements January Jones’ model-worthy credentials, however. First, there is the fact that the interview states the fact (Jones was 18 when she left South Dakota to pursue modelling in New York). Second, and much more obvious, is Jones’ work with photographer Craig McDean for the issue. Doing away with the mid-20th Century styling that oft plagues her work, it’s a strong look that portrays Jones on another level altogether.
The associated interview is full of other facts of that I was not cognisant of: Jones original auditioned for the role of Peggy in Mad Men, the part of Betty being subsequently written to give her a role within the television series. You can see the full interview on W’s site here. You can, however, see the feature’s other strength, January Jones‘s photo shoot, by clicking on the thumbnails below and browsing through the pictures. If you’re anything like me you’ll find the black and white photos the stronger of the looks, but the washed out colour frames still have their merits.
