Former supermodel Tyra Banks opened up to W Magazine about the hurdles she encountered early on in her career as a Victoria’s Secret model.
Banks explained she arrived at a shoot with the lingerie line but while all the other models were getting their hair done, her assigned hairstylist was having a bit of an issue with doing her “African-American hair.” After several unsuccessful attempts at trying to do the young model’s hair, they sent her home. Banks said her hair was looking “crazy.”
A whole year had gone by and Banks “begged” her agent to get the brand to give her another chance and this time she’d be ready. Banks had her own hairstylist who “wash, blow-dry, and flat-iron” her hair before she arrived at Victoria’s Secret. She told the magazine, “I wrapped it and put a scarf on until the next day, when I was on my way to Victoria’s Secret and stepped out of a cab and whooshed it off my head, walked in, got my makeup done, didn’t let the hair people touch me, went to the bathroom, redid my face, put on extra lip gloss, and walked on that set.”
And that was the first and last time Banks had to take matters in her own hands, she pushed VS to do better telling them “Look, my hair is different, I need somebody who can do my hair.” In the end, Banks made history with the brand as the first Black model with a 10-year contract, to become an Angel, wear the Fantasy Bra and much more.
