Tyra Banks, Victoria's Secret's first black model, reacts to rebranding

BANG! Showbiz

19 Jun, 2021 11:39 PM3 mins to read

Tyra Banks was a Victoria's Secret Angel from 1997 to 2005. Photo / Getty Images

Tyra Banks says she's "witnessing a beauty revolution" after Victoria's Secret retired their Angels.

The 47-year-old model is excited to see the "badass role models" taking on their new posts with The VS Collective, which is made up of spokeswomen including actress Priyanka Chopra, model and skier Eileen Gu, plus-size beauty Paloma Elsesser, and Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio.

Celebrating the news, Banks wrote: "I retired from the runway 16 years ago and I'm proud that in my lifetime, I'm witnessing a beauty revolution.

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"To the new collective of badass ROLE models, I may have cracked that door open, but y'all are charging through. Keep on keepin' on until we all LOSE COUNT of how many are breaking through behind you. #LetsLoseCount. (sic)"

Banks worked as a contract model with the brand, the first black model to do so.

In a post on Instagram, she added: "First is crucial so that a door can be opened for others to fit through. Within a 10-year span starting in 1995, I was the first black @VictoriasSecret contract model ever.

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"The first black Victoria's Secret Cover model. The first black VS model to do so many other groundbreaking things with the brand - as well as other brands.

"But after a first, must come a flow of more.

"A flow of different. A flow of unique. A flow so strong, a flow of so many that we
LOSE COUNT."