Tyra Banks is a top international model and the first black woman to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Later, she hosted the reality show “America’s Next Top Model” and her own daytime talk show, for which she received two Emmy Awards. Banks expanded her commercial activities by starting her own cosmetics brand in 2014. In 2017, Banks took over as presenter of the popular show “America’s Got Talent”. You may also discover the fascinating story of Anna May Wong, a Los Angeles movie star and fashion icon. Find out more at losangeleska.
The model’s childhood
She was born on December 4, 1973, in Inglewood, California, to Carolyn London, a medical photographer, and Donald Banks, a computer consultant. She also has a brother, Devin, who is five years older. Their parents divorced when Banks was six years old. Banks attended John Burroughs Middle School and later Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles, from which she graduated in 1991.
Tyra recalled her difficult childhood period during which she rapidly grew up and earned the nickname “giraffe.” At the age of 17, Tyra made the decision to pursue a modeling career and, despite many rejections based on her ethnicity, signed a contract with Elite Model Management. In the same year, Tyra had her first shoot for Seventeen.
Modeling career
Tyra’s management team dispatched her to Paris to participate in the catwalk displays. Tyra rapidly became known as one of the most successful models of her day, if not all time. Tyra completed 25 catwalk shows in a single season in 1991. Banks signed a contract with CoverGirl Cosmetics in 1993, while she was twenty years old and still living in Italy. The company launched a large advertising campaign featuring her. In the mid-1990s, Banks returned to the United States to devote herself to commercial modeling.
In the mid-1990s, Tyra gained some weight, which was somewhat unacceptable in the model world at the time. Tyra refused to change her body to meet the haute couture trend of the time, instead returning to work in the United States and shooting for swimwear and underwear campaigns. Furthermore, she defied fashion industry pressure to lose weight and worked relentlessly to establish industry equity for models of different ethnic backgrounds. In 1996, Tyra became the first black woman to appear on the covers of GQ and Sports Illustrated. She was also the first black woman to grace the cover of Victoria’s Secret catalog. Banks has appeared in major magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar and Vanity Fair. She has taken part in fashion shows for Coco Chanel, Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani and other prominent designers. She has also been featured in advertising campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Victoria’s Secret, Pepsi and Nike.
In 2012, Tyra signed a contract with IMG Models and became editor of the Vogue Italia website, which served as the stage for the publication of her novel “Modelland” in 2011. Tyra’s debut work made it to the New York Times bestseller list.
Tyra has appeared in a number of music videos, including Michael Jackson’s “Black or White,” Tina Turner’s “Love Thing,” and George Michael’s “Too Funky,” alongside supermodel Linda Evangelista.
Development in other areas
Tyra not only pursued a career in modeling but also in acting. In 1993, Tyra made her acting debut with a role in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” and then in 2000 she appeared in the successful films “Love & Basketball,” “Coyote Ugly,” and “Life-Size.” She also appeared in the television drama “Gossip Girl”.
Tyra is a true entrepreneur who, in addition to modeling, acting and publishing a book, has tried herself in the music industry. The model recorded her first single in 2004 and then collaborated on a single with NBA player Kobe Bryant. She also recorded the song “Be A Star,” which was featured on the soundtrack to the film “Life-Size”.
Banks also founded her own production company, Ty Ty Baby Productions, which she later renamed Bankable Productions. The company produced “The Tyra Banks Show,” “America’s Next Top Model,” and the 2008 film “The Clique.” In 2008, Banks received an Emmy for her work and production on “The Tyra Banks Show”, and, in 2009, for the second year in a row, she won an award for outstanding, informative talkshow. Tyra Banks created, produced and hosted the popular reality show “America’s Next Top Model”. In 2009, Banks presented yet another ground-breaking endeavor with the launch of “The Tyra Banks Show,” a daytime talk show that addressed important social issues and celebrated the heroines’ personalities. Her charismatic hosting style and candid conversations were well received by viewers, cementing her status as a media powerhouse and role model for self-acceptance.
As an entrepreneur, Banks expanded her empire by launching Tyra Beauty in 2014. This cosmetics brand was created to redefine beauty standards and promote self-confidence. Banks’ efforts in different areas helped promote self-acceptance and motivate people to appreciate their unique qualities.
Banks established the TZONE program, which aims to teach leadership and life skills. She also established the Tyra Banks Scholarship. This foundation aims to provide African-American girls with the opportunity to attend an educational institution. In 2005, TZONE was turned from a camp to a public charity organization the Tyra Banks TZONE.
Americaʼs Next Top Model
This is an American reality show and interactive competition in which a number of aspiring models compete for the title of Best Model in America and the opportunity to begin a career in the modeling industry. Developed by Tyra Banks, who also serves as executive producer, the show premiered in May 2003 and ran every six months until 2012, and then annually starting from 2013. The show was canceled in 2015, however, it was relaunched the next year. The show’s winners usually received a magazine shoot as well as a contract with a modeling agency. The show is part of the international franchise “Top Model”. The series has been adapted into over fifty different versions worldwide.
The Tyra Banks Show
Banks’s television career expanded to daytime television when she launched her own talk show, The Tyra Banks Show, in 2005. The show’s most memorable event occurred in February 2007, shortly after several photos of Banks in a swimsuit were published in tabloid magazines. The model then walked on stage in a swimsuit, telling critics, “Kiss my fat ass.” After five years on broadcast, Banks canceled her show in 2010. She told People magazine that she decided to cancel her program so that she could focus on bringing positive images of women to the big screen.
Personal life
Banks, who rarely discusses her personal life in public, has been rumored to have relationships with several celebrities over the years, including director John Singleton and basketball player Chris Webber. In January 2016, Banks and her longtime boyfriend, Norwegian photographer Erik Asla, welcomed a son, York Banks Asla. Banks has previously disclosed her infertility issues, so their son was born thanks to surrogacy. Banks and Asla split in 2017, but remain friends and parents to their son.