14 DAY TRIAL // Tyra Banks might not be walking catwalks anymore for prestigious labels, but she’s still working in the modeling industry. She has her own beauty empire and she’s pushing this very relatable concept that beauty is everywhere, but it needs fierceness and a positive attitude to come out.
In one of her most recent Instagram posts, she waxes poetic about her start as a model, when she was just a shy teenager determined to show the world she deserved the break she’d been given, but she also says a few words about today’s models.
Things are changing, but not for the better
Because of social media, more models are discovered on Twitter and Instagram than in the traditional way, through casting or lucky spottings in the street. The rules of the game have also changed dramatically, because now, agencies and companies have the perfect tool to gauge the reception of a new model.
Since everything on social media happens in real time, a model’s popularity is paramount to having a career. Obviously, models from Tyra’s generation were chosen and hired for a different set of criteria, and the way they interacted with fans or how many likes they’d get for a photo of their dinner had nothing to do with it.
Tyra points out other things that have changed, for the worst, amounting to incredible pressure on these girls, the majority of whom won’t even get to have their minute in the spotlight, let alone 15 of them.
“They have to look good on AND off the set. They have to arrive backstage at fashion shows looking and dressed as if they are already ON a runway. They have to be slimmer than slim. Skinnier than skinny,” she writes. “And they have to do selfies that make them look relatable, but not TOO relatable, because then people may comment that they don't understand, ‘Why the heck is THAT girl a friggin' model??!!!!’”
The lines between model and celebrity have been erased
Tyra also speaks of how difficult it is for models to land covers or endorsement deals, since companies prefer to go with well-established celebrities instead, because they have a familiar face and bring their fanbase along.
A model whose name or face no one knows doesn’t stand a chance against the likes of Marion Cotillard, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender or Leonardo DiCaprio, to name just a few of the celebrities who make millions from endorsement deals with fashion and luxury accessory brands.
Tyra is well aware of the fact that the line between model and celebrity has been erased, because in order to be a successful model today, you have to be a celebrity as well. There is simply no other way around it.
Perhaps the best examples in this sense are Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid and Cara Delevigne, all of them seeing their careers backed by their huge online fanbase.
Models have so much pressure today. They have to look good on AND off the set. They have to arrive backstage at fashion shows looking and dressed as if they are already ON a runway. They have to be slimmer than slim. Skinnier than skinny. They have to compete with actresses, recording artists and reality stars for magazine covers and ad campaigns. They have to have tons of followers on social media to book top notch jobs. And they have to do selfies that make them look relatable, but not TOO relatable, because then people may comment that they don't understand, "Why the heck is THAT girl a friggin' model??!!!!" When I was a young model, yeah, we had to think about our weight, but not like today. I think I was size 6, not a size 0. And backstage at fashion shows, I looked like this photo you're looking at. Yep, that's teenaged me right before a YSL show was about to start in sneakers, plaid flannel and bad jeans. Mr. Yves Saint Laurent could care how I looked when I arrived to his show. But when I hit his stage, he expected excellence. And I made sure I delivered that every time I was chosen to walk his amazing runway. I'm sending love and hugs to all working, aspiring and super models worldwide. You all have lots to live up to. And I'm here cheering for you every single day. Stay strong girls. #throwbackthursday #throwbackTyTy A photo posted by Tyra Banks (@tyrabanks) on Jun 25, 2015 at 10:23am PDT