You could say John Pearson has benefitted from great jeans. The 58-year-old, regarded as the world's first male supermodel, was discovered at age 18 while managing a denim shop in his hometown of Hull, in northern England. Three years later, in 1986, he moved to New York, where he worked for everyone from Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein to Levi's and Gap, often shooting with photographers such as Helmut Newton and Mario Testino. A “good day in the office” moment: starring alongside Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, and Christy Turlington in the music video for George Michael's Freedom! 90.
In the nearly four decades since coming to America, Pearson