These days, Jaime King is best known for her work as an actress, appearing in films and television series such as Sin City (2005), Fanboys (2007) and the CW‘s comedy-drama Hart of Dixie (2011–present), as well as for her appearances in music videos such as Robbie Williams’s “Sexed Up” (2003) and Lana Del Rey’s “Summertime Sadness” (2012). However, back in the 90s and the early 2000s, she was more than fairly successful in the fashion industry. Discovered at age 14 while attending Nancy Bounds’ Studios, she signed with Company Management and to avoid confusion with the then-more famous Jaime Rishar, began working under the name James King.
Regarding her first show ever, she stated: “I have fond memories of [it]: Tom Ford for Gucci. Naomi [Campbell] in front of me and Kate Moss behind; I was dying!”. Her first story was with Steven Klein for the first issue of Visionaire. She walked the runway for Chanel, Alexander McQueen – she was in every show of his since his very first – and Christian Dior; worked with top photographers like Ellen von Unwerth and Richard Avedon (no Nastassja-and-the-python-style pictures, though!); appeared in fashion magazines such as Vogue, Allure, Glamour and Harper’s Bazaar; and was a major – and tragic, due to her personal and health problems – exponent of the controversial heroin chic trend. In retrospect, she stated she believes fashion industry would be better off if “[there was] a union for the young models as [there is] for the young actors”.
King was also the main subject of the iconic February 4, 1996 cover story “James is a Girl” of the New York Times Magazine, written by Jennifer Egan and photographed by Nan Goldin. I had already read the piece some time ago, but reading it again now struck me as it portrays a time not very unlike the one we’re living now. Taking place partly in Paris, France in October 1995, the article says that “Paris has been a mess […due to] the proliferation of terrorist bombs in subways and garbage cans [which] has led to a heavy police presence on the streets” and points out how “the fashion world feels eerily removed from all this”. The glitter and gold with a hint of “darkness lurking around”, King as the consumed wise-beyond-her-years small town youngster on the rise like… there’s a familiarity in the words, even if you’d think a behind-the-scenes peek of the fashion world and “modeling factory” in the 90s would feel anything but familiar. I suppose we wouldn’t get another article like this today, not pristine and American dream-y enough. We’ve become so accustomed to open secrets, here, Egan lays them bare.
The pictures are insanely cool. King looks very good, and there’s a certain luminosity to them. They’re fierce. The best part, they say as much about King’s teenage journey in ModelLand as the articles does. Perfect companions. The story also covers the rise of models as celebrities and the prominent use of teenage models in fashion.
I have a bit of a fascination for King’s modeling work. The way she looked, with the blonde hair and ability to inhabit make-up and hairstyles like they were each a new character for her (no wonder she got into acting). Her interesting, sharp, almost chiseled facial features… the way she was shot… Quite a charm to this day as illustrations of fashion photography and top models in the 90s.
So, since “James is a Girl” turns 18 in two days, let’s look back at some of King’s best modeling work:
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From “James is a Girl”
The Photography Blog 
Interesting article. Photos are wonderful. I wonder how these girls get through life without being bored to death. A young woman I met told me that she is getting into a modeling career. She is a wonderful, outgoing, very beautiful young woman. I advised her to take up photography herself so that she’d have something to do while on shoots. Its a dangerous life career.
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