Tyra Banks Makes Modeling Return with 3rd Sports Illustrated Cover

Tyra Banks proves that she is still the supermodel that she's always been known to be, as she comes out of her modeling retirement to become the cover girl for Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue for the 3rd time in her life.

After Sports Illustrated revealed that Tyra Banks was going to be their cover girl, people were amazed. That's because she's been their cover girl twice, but a decade or two ago. Through an interview with Buzzfeed News, Banks herself revealed why she decided to return to modeling after she announced her retirement 13 years ago.

The supermodel landed the highly coveted cover last Wednesday, a spot that she once made history with in 1997, when she became the first black woman to ever appear solo on the magazine. As for why she did that, the 45-year-old said:

“I decided to come back to Sports Illustrated because it is the magazine that changed my life. I was a very known model, high fashion model, but I got on the cover of SI and it made me a household name, almost like in 24 hours, back when the whole world was looking at the same thing all at once.”

Tyra's retirement

When Tyra was 32-years-old, she announced that she was retiring from the modeling industry because she believed she was "no longer a hot commodity." However, she's now working on building a modeling "theme park" which she called Modelland. It's this initiative that has made her try to embrace models of all ages, shapes, and sizes.

To her, there was no better model to prove that age and size don't matter, but herself.

"With Modelland and everything that I’m saying about beauty is all ages, all sizes, all this — yet I left the industry because of age, I needed to say, ya know, let me put myself where my message is.”

The new Tyra Banks

Thanks to Tyra's new advocacy, her comeback to modeling is not just any type of comeback. She is hoping to erase all stereotypes about models and beauty. In fact, she revealed that her new model name is now "Banx," with the X symbolizing the crossing out of preconceived notions about what is beautiful.

“This is a new me, this is an older me, this is a thicker me, this is a wiser me, this is a thankful me. It’s all shades, it’s all ages, it’s all sizes, it’s all sexual orientations, it is everything — and I’m putting that on my back with that X.”

Modelland

Tyra's initiative called Modelland that is said to open at the end of the year, hopes to "take modeling to the masses, and making fashion more accessible."

“Everybody can come to Modelland and be the fantasy versions of themselves, discover their unique beauty, have us validate their beauty while they are having fun.”

In the attraction, people are able to dress up and be models for a day, participate in fashion shows, photo shoots, and shop as well.