BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — AMC’s “Mad Men” drama may garner attention for bringing back ’60s glamour, but January Jones, known for her daring red carpet looks, says she doesn’t care what critics think of her personal style.

“I think that fashion is an art,” the 35-year-old actress, who has topped many best- and worst-dressed lists, said in a recent interview. “It’s a fun way to express yourself.… And I sort of like not pleasing people a bit.”

Take, for example, the Prabal Gurung gown she wore to this year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards. Critics both praised and criticized the bold black-and-white structured ensemble.

“It makes me laugh when the ‘fashion police’ hate what I wear,” Jones said. “I loved my whole look that night. It was really fun. And I just like people looking at me like I was crazy.”

Another daring style that left critics divided: her dramatic 2012 Emmys look. Jones made a statement with a severe slicked-back hairdo, smoky cat eyes and a semisheer black organza number by Zac Posen.

Jones returns as steely housewife Betty Francis, ex-wife of Madison Avenue adman Don Draper, when the new season of “Mad Men” premieres Sunday.

And whether you love or hate her fashion choices, Jones welcomes the attention. “That’s good, I embrace it,” she said of being considered a style icon.

Snipes released from prison, confined to home

LEWIS RUN, Pa. — Wesley Snipes has been released from a federal prison in Pennsylvania.

Snipes was convicted in 2008 on tax charges. He was released Tuesday and placed under home confinement. A Bureau of Corrections spokeswoman said Friday he’ll be overseen by the New York Community Corrections Office until July 19.

Snipes has appeared in dozens of films, from “White Men Can’t Jump” and “Demolition Man” in the early 1990s to the “Blade” trilogy. He entered the McKean prison in December 2010 to begin a three-year sentence for failure to file income tax returns.

Snipes belonged to a group that challenged the government’s right to collect taxes. Prosecutors say he failed to file returns for at least a decade and owed millions in taxes.

Snipes had appealed, saying he didn’t get a fair trial.

Knopfler nixes two Russian gigs over crackdown

LONDON — Guitarist Mark Knopfler canceled two shows in Russia in protest over what he says is a crackdown on human rights groups in the country, as President Vladimir Putin on Friday dismissed Western criticism of his government’s raids on non-governmental organization.

The former Dire Straits frontman is scrapping the June gigs in Moscow and St. Petersburg following raids on the Russian offices of groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, according to a post on his website Friday.

“I have always loved playing in Russia and have great affection for the country and the people,” he said. “I hope the current climate will change soon.”

Russian authorities raided hundreds of NGOs last month to make sure they comply with a law requiring many of them to register as “foreign agents.”

The government says the law is designed to curb foreign meddling, but critics say it is intended to stifle dissent.

 

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