As we all know, top supermodel, Tyra Banks, took the world by storm in the early 2000s having rocked the Victoria's Secret Runway as an Angel, graced the cover of GQ and Sports Illustrated, had her talk show, and was the host of hit reality television show, America’s Next Top Model.
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When most people think of ANTM, they think of it as just another reality show, but it goes so much deeper than that. It worked wonders for Tyra’s career and unlocked more doors in the fashion industry than anyone could have ever imagined.
The search to find America’s next supermodel skyrocketed in the early 2000s. Girls around the globe would flock to casting calls or strut their way through malls in hopes that one day, they’d catch the eye of a producer and make it to the big screen. While many people may have believed that the show was another fluffy program, it opened the door to diversity in the fashion industry. The main beauty standard in the '90s to early 2000s was the aesthetic colloquially referred to as, “heroin chic”: skin and bones, hollowed-out faces, and tall, lanky frames. As the show’s episodes debuted, more women who defied the standard graced our screens.
While they still were a product of their generation and were predominately skinny women, there was still a noticeable shift. Heroin chic turned into athletic builds, dancer builds, and even the build of a mother. The women were no longer straight as a line, now wearing hips, curves, and muscles like badges of honor. The show produced a plus-sized winner at the end of cycle 10, Whitney Thompson. Thompson was the first and only plus-sized winner in the show’s history and went on to become an advocate for NEDA, the National Eating Disorder Association.
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Additionally, women of color started stepping into the limelight, a rarity for the time. While there were women of color in fashion prior, it was still a predominately white field. America’s Next Top Model broke that pattern and encouraged women of all backgrounds to pursue their dreams of becoming models.
Not only did the show open up opportunities for young women of all shapes and sizes, but it brought the industry to the mainstream. Everyone knew about Victoria’s Secret, but until 2003 when ANTM hit the screens, the fashion industry was seen as a mystifying, exclusive field. It was dominated by top models like Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, and Gisele Bündchen who kept the industry locked up tight. As the show took off, it widened mainstream consciousness and made the fashion industry much more accessible to society as a whole.
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As the show’s visibility grew it allowed for a change in the discourse surrounding the fashion industry. It became more of a teaching module rather than just a show. Little girls and boys all over the world could learn how to walk like Heidi Klum and pose like Adrianna Lima right from the comfort of their homes. It provided insight into what life on set looks like and how a photoshoot gets done. For the first time in fashion history, every day people were getting a look into the industry and the chance to learn how to navigate it. Many contestants on the show admitted to learning about their craft from watching episodes from prior seasons. Something that used to feel so exclusive had quickly become available to all who wanted it.
ANTM may have had its drawbacks much like every other reality television show. However, you cannot deny the work it had put in for the fashion industry and all of the opportunities it brought young men and women all over the world.
By Abigail Moynihan
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