Tyra Banks has made it very clear that she supports Vogue‘s new Health Initiative, but now she’s gone a step further.
She’s written an open letter to models, applauding Vogue‘s decision to ban images of anorexia.
She writes:
“To models around the world, I want to celebrate Vogue├óΓé¼Γäós recent groundbreaking announcement. The editors of Vogue├óΓé¼Γäós 19 international editions have pledged to ban models from their pages who ├óΓé¼┼ôappear to have an eating disorder,├óΓé¼┬¥ to create healthy backstage working conditions, as well as several other revolutionary initiatives. This calls for a toast over some barbecue and burgers!
When I started modeling, I used to see models who seemed unhealthy backstage at fashion shows. They appeared to be abusing their bodies to maintain a certain weight. These girls were booked over and over again for countless fashion shows and photo shoots. I’m sure many of you today have witnessed this, or even live it. Now, real progress is finally on the horizon. Vogue is stepping up, doing the right thing, and protecting that girl. Perhaps that girl is you!
People get upset with you if you├óΓé¼Γäóre a very thin model. What many don├óΓé¼Γäót know is that a certain sample size has been set by the industry, and you├óΓé¼Γäóre doing everything in your power to keep working. At times, I feel there├óΓé¼Γäós an unspoken rule that says, ‘there├óΓé¼Γäós no such thing as being too thin, as long as you don├óΓé¼Γäót pass out.’
In my early 20s I was a size four. But then I started to get curvy. My agency gave my mom a list of designers that didn├óΓé¼Γäót want to book me in their fashion shows anymore. In order to continue working, I would├óΓé¼Γäóve had to fight Mother Nature and get used to depriving myself of nutrition. As my mom wiped the tears from my face, she said, ‘Tyra, you know what we├óΓé¼Γäóre going to do about this? We├óΓé¼Γäóre 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.
On America├óΓé¼Γäós Next Top Model, I mentor girls on television. When that TV goes off, I actually mentor other girls in the modeling industry├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥girls that have not been on Top Model, but who appear in Vogue worldwide. On late night calls, I console them as they confide in me about their bodies maturing, and not being able to fit into sample sizes anymore. Now I know you all will still call me for advice, but I don├óΓé¼Γäót think there will be as much of: ‘I├óΓé¼Γäóm hungry, Tyra, and I├óΓé¼Γäóm tired. But I still want to do runway and high-fashion work. I want to stay on top.├óΓé¼┬¥ With Vogue├óΓé¼Γäós new mandates, things, I hope, will now change for the better.'”