The model and businesswoman, who produces and fronts the Top Model, wrote an open letter praising the editorial team of Vogue for banning rail-thin models from its pages.
The 38 year-old, and recent Harvard Business School graduate, applauded the stance of the magazine and hopes that this will fuel better policies in the fashion industry and that ‘things will change for the better’.
'Today you are expected to be a size zero. When I started out, I didn’t know such a size even existed' she exclaimed. However, she also said that her decision not to conform when told to lose weight made her the supermodel and mogul she became.
Banks walking the runway for Victoria's Secret in 1999
Speaking about fashion insiders telling her to lose weight to continue working, she said 'As my mom wiped the tears from my face, she said, "Tyra, you know what we're going to do about this? We're going to go eat pizza”'.
'We sat in a tiny pizzeria in Milan and strategized about how to turn my curves into a curveball. In a way, it was my decision not to starve myself that turned me into a supermodel, and later on, a businesswoman’ Banks wrote.
Banks has long been a supporter of healthy body image, each cycle bringing the issue to the forefront during her reality show. Banks was the victim of tabloid body image abuse in recent years, after American tabloid newspapers ran pictures of her at unflattering angles in a one-piece swimsuit while on holiday.
This prompted the former talk show host to dedicate an episode to positive body image and she emerged on the stage of her show in the same swimsuit she was photographed in, telling the media and her critics to “kiss my fat a**”.
Tyra Banks pictured at a charity ball last month
'Vogue has the power to make and break - whether it’s fashion trends, designers, models, and yes, even industry practices. Their bold stance means that others will follow’ Banks concluded.
She finished her letter of support by insisting the industry celebrate this move over ‘barbeque and beer’.
