Born on December 4, 1973 in California, Tyra Banks began to show off her feet on the catwalk from her high school years in Los Angeles. She was rejected by 6 modeling agencies before signing with Elite Model Management at the age of 16.
In her first show season, 1991, Banks received 25 shows at Paris Fashion Week. After that, the girl appeared on the covers of many magazines, including Elle, Teen Vogue … She acted for Chanel, Valentino, Fendi and many other famous brands. Banks has also photographed advertisements for Dolce & Gabbana, Yves Saint Laurent, Ralph Laurent and Nike.
Following her seniors, she paved the way for black girls to hold their heads high in the catwalk industry.
Banks was the first black American model to appear on the covers of both GQ as “Woman of the Year – 2000” and Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue (later again with this issue), as well as on the cover of the book. Famous Victoria’s Secret catalog .
Receiving ” Supermodel of the Year” from the Michael Award, the model industry’s equivalent of the movie’s Oscars, Tyra later became attached to Victoria’s Secret . She was Victoria’s Secret Angel continuously from 1997 to 2005. In addition, Tyra has a 5-year contract with cosmetics giant Cover Girl .
Banks is one of only four black Americans and one of seven women to make Time magazine’s list of “The World’s Most Influential People” multiple times. Tyra is as popular as the US president , Oprah Winfrey, Katie Couric, Condoleezza Rice and George Clooney . Banks is also known for a candid remark about the peculiarities of the modeling profession: “As a model, you get so used to changing your clothes that you don’t even notice.”
Banks opened the TZONE program in 1999, focusing on developing life skills and leadership, along with the establishment of a scholarship fund named after her, giving opportunities for black American girls to attend Immaculate Heart High School . Up to now, although no longer go to the catwalk, Banks’ successful image and positive activities have always been a source of encouragement and encouragement for women of color to overcome barriers of gender, ethnicity and status. …
Women were amused by Banks’ spontaneous but purposeful statement on The Tyra Banks Show , a talk-show for young women, hosted and hosted by Banks herself: “Black women don’t have the same problems. bodybuilding issues with white women. They take pride in their bodies. Black men love big breasts.”
Imprint America’s Next Top Model
Whether modeling, advertising, or acting, writing books, Tyra Banks’ biggest mark is still America’s Next Top Model, the reality television series in which the girls try to win the title of America’s Next Top Model and the opportunity to start a modeling career. Tyra Banks host, main judge, producer. Banks opened the production company Bankable Productions to produce The Tyra Banks Show, America’s Next Top Model and the movie The Clique (2008) .
Viewers were all too familiar with Banks’ announcement for the girl who went on to win the title of America’s Next Top Model: “Congratulations. You’re still in the race to be America’s Next Top Model . ”
This reality TV show has passed 19 seasons, encountering many ups and downs. For example, the Writers Guild of America’s strike for more rights in profits and script rights in July 2006 left the seventh season without a script to stage, forcing co-host Ken Mok to write it himself. script, rescue the program from the brink of closure. Then the giant in the international fashion industry, Karl Lagerfeld bluntly likened America’s Next Top Model to “a pile of trash that is only laughable for five minutes” and “It is of no use to the fashion industry”.
In October 2006, Allure magazine commented: “America’s Next Top Model really doesn’t train a good model.” In season 8, Banks had to admit: most of the contestants were very heavy smokers. And Banks corrected the mistake right on the 9th season, the theme format for the show was living green and not smoking.
America’s Next Top Model has also met many lawsuits. The season 9 winner was discovered to have appeared in a commercial for fast food brand Wendy’s, in the show of season 6 and even in an episode of Tyra Banks Show before season 9 started. Then in season 10, the owner of the building used as the Top Model House, sued for about $500,000 in damages for the damage to the building.
In its 12th season, lifestyle website Shine criticized the show’s “brutal” and “humiliating” elements. The page offers “10 Reasons Why America’s Next Top Model Is Bad for Women, for People,” criticizing it for creating an unrealistic view for young girls of the life a model would lead, and “always extolling the power and strength of women, but then forcing the contestants into ominous contexts that go beyond the models’ real lives.”
Looking back, however, Banks succeeded with America’s Next Top Model. Right on the first season aired on UPN 2003, the show became the station’s highest-rated show. In its 7th season, the show moved to The CW, UPN’s alternative broadcast channel and is still the show with the highest ratings. Advertisers pay $61,315 for 30 seconds of appearance during the 2011-2012 season. This is the highest number of shows on The CW.
America’s Next Top Mode l is currently broadcast on television in 170 countries and regions. There is even a game of the same name, released in 2010.
Surpass yourself
Following Oprah, Banks is a spokesperson for women experiencing emotional abuse, when she herself was a victim. In 2009, as a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show , she talked about her past abusive relationship, when she was in her 20s.
“He never hit me, but it can be said that he has punched my spirit, hit my mood, my emotions, every day. ” Outwardly, Banks said no one could see any trace. But behind closed doors, he gets jealous and blames her for his bad mood.
“He was a master at showing happiness and greatness to everyone else, while whispering negative things to me. I lamented to my friends and they said: Oh, he’s great you. He is good to us. Everything is perfect.” Although she was one of the top 10 models in the world at the time, her self-esteem was getting worse every day.
One day, Banks finally faced herself through the bathroom mirror. She looked in and said loudly: “Tyra, who are you? What the fuck are you doing? Get out of here now.” However, many times she tried to leave, she was drawn back into the relationship. She even asked her mother for help. But the mother refused, because she understood this she could not. Must be her.
Banks then had to come up with a plan for herself, something she said every woman in a similar situation should do. And finally, after much effort, she stood on her own two feet, finding new opportunities for her emotions.
In 2008 and 2009, Banks won the Day-time Emmy Award. In 2010, Oprah Winfrey commended Tyra Banks for her outstanding work on the talk-show in inspiring and guiding young women.
In May 2010, she announced that she had started writing a book, and the novel Modelland, released a year later, immediately topped the New York Times Best Seller list.
Tyra continues to write books, collaborate with Vogue Italia , and act socially.
For Tyra Banks, challenges come and go, leaving a woman more beautiful and more resilient.
