Model of the Week: Tyra Banks

Prior to graduating from Immaculate Heart High School in 1991, she wanted to give modeling a try. She applied and was accepted at Loyola Marymount University, that Elite modeling agency gave the 17-year-old, her first modeling job. Afterwards, she had been rejected many times for modeling assignments, which led her to drop out of college so quickly.  Within Banks's first week in Paris, other designers were so entranced by her presence on the runway that she was booked for an unprecedented 25 shows--a record in the business for a newcomer. She has done extensive print and/or runway work for fashion/advertising giants such as Anna Sui, Coors Light, CoverGirl, Badgley Mischka, Bill Blass, Cynthia Rowley, Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Donna Karan, Gemma Kahng, H&M, Isaac Mizrahi, Maria Snyder, McDonald's, Michael Kors, Milk, Nicole Miller, Nike, Inc., Oscar de la Renta, Pepsi, Perry Ellis, Randy Kemper, Richard Tyler, Rifat Ozbek, Swatch, Todd Oldham, Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria's Secret, XOXO, and Yves Saint Laurent. She has appeared on the covers of such magazines as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, and Elle. Banks was the first African American woman on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. In 1997, she received the Michael Award for Supermodel of the Year. Also in '97, she was chosen for the cover of the Victoria's Secret catalog, making her the first African American to be so honored. Banks retired from modeling in May 2005 to concentrate on her television show. She walked the runway for the final time at the 2005 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. On numerous occasions, she has been sought after to appear in Playboy magazine; however, she has turned each request down.  Banks' television career began on the fourth season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, in which she played lead character Will's ex-girlfriend Jackie Ames, and made eight appearances throughout the series. Other screen credits include Felicity, MADtv, Nick Cannon's Wild 'N Out (in which she was featured as special guest host and team captain), and The Price Is Right (guest-starring as a Barker's Beauty).  Currently, Banks can be seen on television as the hostess, head judge, and executive producer of the UPN (now the CW) television show America's Next Top Model. In addition, she does double duty as the host of The Tyra Banks Show, a daytime talk show which premiered on September 12, 2005 and recently began its second season, drawing over 1.9 million viewers an episode. The show features stories about everyday people mixed in with celebrity interviews, much like the early format of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Under the slogan "Every woman has a story...and it happened to Tyra too", Banks promotes her show using emotional flashbacks to her own childhood and adolescence. Many of the episodes deal with issues facing women today.  On the big screen, Banks has had minor roles in a few movies. Her first big screen role came in 1995 when she co-starred in the critically acclaimed drama Higher Learning. She went on to co-star with Lindsay Lohan in the Disney film Life-Size, playing a doll named Eve who comes to life. Other notable roles include 1999's Love Stinks, 2000's Coyote Ugly, and 2002's Halloween: Resurrection.  In personal life she has previously been linked romantically to musical artist Seal, NBA players Rick Fox and Chris Webber, hockey player Mark Messier, and director John Singleton. She has said repeatedly that she has no plans on dating or getting married any time soon. Currently, she is enjoying the single life and has recently moved to New York City where she focuses on both of her TV shows. Campaigns: Alma Couture, CoverGirl, Dolce & Gabbana, Elite chocolate, H&M, Milk, Rifat Ozbek, Swatch skin, Victoria's Secret, X-O-X-O and Yves Saint Laurent Covers: Photo, Max, Harper's Bazaar, Amica, Anna, Il Venerdi, L'Espresso, Elle, DT, Cosmopolitan, Maxim, Elle, GQ, Sports Illustrated, Details, Shape, Fitness, Ocean Drive Shows: Bella Freud, Victoria's Secret, Alberta Ferretti, Anna Molinari, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, Yves Saint Laurent copywrite:Tyra Banks.com

New Guardian

By Rachel Holmes SORRY ABOUT THE CUT OFF WRITING! Has Hermione cast a spell on the fashion world? The year was 2001, and a new fashion starlet was about to emerge, butterfly-like, from the Muggle world, wearing a shiny green smock top, faux snakeskin platform shoes and yellow trousers from Tammy Girl. It was hideous - but she was only ten years old. Who knew that eight years later Hermione Granger would become one of the most talked about fashionistas of the year? Yes, by the summer of 2007 our Hermione had ditched her robes, pointy hat and shiny shoes for Louboutins, a YSL clutch and host of pretty dresses. Rumours flooded the internet: Hermione was about to oust Kiera Knightly as the star of the new Coco Mademoiselle ad campaign; she'd been signed by Storm modelling agency; she was about to close a £2m deal. Meanwhile, the 17-year-old travelled the globe with Ron and Harry, attending film premieres. Hermione wore a different Chanel dress to every one, wowing the crowds and adding fuel to the fire. Then she dropped off the fashion radar. We can only assume Voldemort's star was on the ascendant once again, and Hermy had to spend some time in Hogwart's library boning up on new enchantments and fighting off Dementors. When she re-entered the fashion scene a few months later it seemed that Chanel were no longer working their magic on her: she was pictured wearing a blue shirt-dress that deserved to be fed to a Hippogriff at the National Movie Awards 2007. It would be another year before the Boggart in the wardrobe let her come out again, and this time her Patronus charm worked: she was the star of a spooky Harper's Bazaar shoot, posing with top designers such as Giles Deacon and Matthew Williamson while wearing their clothes. Since then, Hermione hasn't looked back. She sat primly on the front row of fashion shows in London and Paris last autumn, dressed in Chanel and YSL (we think a stylist was back on the scene). She did an ethereal shoot with Vogue Italia. Then Karl Lagerfeld photographed her for French Crash Magazine, looking so couture it almost hurt our eyes. She even had her eyebrows concealered out and nun-like headgear: proper high fashion! The Gryffindor head, Professor McGonagall, expressed concern this week about Hermione's new direction: "It's all very well, but what about her NEWTs?" she said, adding, "I prefer a 'warts and all' portraiture as opposed to these airbrushed images". We're expecting to see much more of Hermione during fashion week in September, as this week she was announced as the new face of Burberry. "[Hermione] was the obvious choice for this campaign," the Burberry creative director, Christopher Bailey, said. Aside from Hermione, the new Burberry ads were kept strictly Muggle-bound, with no one else from the wizarding world appearing. Instead, the stars were five skinny blokes from the world of film, music and art. We can't wait to see what comes next for the sorceress with the magical fashion touch. Disclaimer: all Harry Potter references are fictional.

BANG ON TREND We haven't looked at footwear for a while, so let's break the drought and talk about sandals. The aim is to provide a sandal for every taste ... here goes. For a sporty, Hervé Léger bodycon-style sandal (take a look and you'll see what we mean), try Office's Herman sandal for £40. For the Birkenstock fans and ethical shoppers among you, try the Wakataua sandal from El Naturalista (stockists are on the website). Also, Terra Plana's summer collection has some lovely flat shoes and these high-heeled strappy sandals for £85. For ultra-glam options, try kurtgeiger.com. We found these gold leather flats for £75. These shiny Christian Louboutin 'Bilbao' sandals are not for people who are scared of heights. The bright red grid design will brighten up a monochrome look for £250. Those of you with skinny ankles and a penchant for the tribal look could go for these Faith cuff-detail sandals, £40. They have a beaded ankle cuff and tie at the back with a leather thong. For the active, these jelly neon pink gladiator sandals are a steal at £9.75 and have the added advantage that you can wear them in water. For a comfortable evening look, we love these lace-up flats from Reiss at £89, and for a jazzy nautical outfit try these blue canvas sandals with gold trim from Chloe for £290.

FASHIONISTA OF THE WEEK Dear readers, some of you may realise how hard it is for me to put finger to keyboard in penning this section ... This week, the coveted title goes to none other than Anne Hathaway. The woman that we have compared to a long-necked bird, to a pale apparition, to our worst nightmare, even, managed to pull it out of the bag this week. She went to the Tony Awards wearing a black Oscar de la Renta dress with a feathered skirt and red Louboutin heels. The whole look was understatedly magnificent, even down to the makeup and jewellery.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK "In general, I think, yes, we can look back, but not that much. It's too literal. Like shoulder pads. We belonged to that time. But for me, it doesn't make sense today. You can play with it for one season, but it's not going to be revolutionary. I think we should move forward, not back." Donatella Versace talks complete sense about the eighties revival to Lenny Kravitz forInterview Magazine.

FASHION GRAVEYARD Cut-outs Stacey Ferguson, aka Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas, is prone to wearing dresses that look like she's gone on a rampage with a pair of scissors. This is what she wore for her appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman. The green lines make it look as if her toned abs have flexed and, in a move that the Incredible Hulk would be jealous of, split the fabric.

SHOPPING NEWS Some rather disturbing news to kick off with: we heard this week that luxury retailer Hermes has started breeding its own crocodiles on farms in Australia to keep up with a huge demand for the classic Birkin and Kelly bags. Chief executive Patrick Thomas, displaying a remarkable lack of sensitivity, explained that it can take three to four crocodiles to make one of the bags and quipped: "The world is not full of crocodiles, except the stock exchange!" Where's Peta when you need them, eh? June 26 marks PoverTee Day, and to mark the occasion Maria Grachvogel has created a T-shirt which is available to buy online. The Fairtrade organic rose-print shirt costs £10, with £2 going to ActionAid, a charity tackling poverty around the world.

OUT AND ABOUT Yorkshire fashion week kicks off on 22 June, with work from young up-and-coming Northern designers as well as a collection from Betty Jackson. The week culminates with a grand gala catwalk show. Christopher Bailey has already lent his support to the event: "As a Yorkshireman I feel incredibly proud to be associated with such a fantastic initiative and expression of Northern, British talent." Quite right, Christopher! For more information and ticket inquiries contact the Textile Centre of Excellence on 01484 346500 or email: yfw@textile-training.com. This month Topshop will be celebrating the summer with gardening sheds at selected stores nationwide. Drawing inspiration from the Chelsea Flower Show and reflecting our return to traditional domestic pursuits, the store is offering you the chance to grow your own blooms at home. Each time you spend over £50 in store you can collect a complimentary potted African violet. Lovely! For more details visit insideout.topshop.com

This week's Gaurdian

By Rachel Holmes Where has Martin Margiela gone? For all of you who thought that Balmain was the first label to bring us the bold shoulder, think again. Avant-garde Belgian designer Martin Margiela (or the Monster Maker, as we like to call him) has been accentuating the shoulder since time began - well, since he was able to wield a pair of pinking shears, anyway. This is the man who gives Fashion Statement an excuse to applaud certifiable insanity (as if we needed one). His spring/summer 09 collection was wondrous indeed: the label's 20thanniversary show featured models with their heads on backwards (not literally), giant Cousin Itt wigs and a wedding cake with legs. As the programme notes said: 'This fashion show has almost more to do with a performance than a display of garments and outfits.' We were expecting more of the same for autumn/winter 09, but the show seemed strangely subdued: the oddities were still there, but they weren't as conceptually bonkers as before. Some of the magic had gone. So now we're a little bit worried. We shut our ears to the rumours circulating the catwalks last October that the 20th anniversary show would be his last, but then after the show in March this year critics started speculating that Margiela was no longer involved in designing for the label. They thought that his show was lacking the personal vision that usually made it so special. Now, after some asking around, JC Report is also of the opinion that Margiela has left the building. Investigating the matter recently, its reporter was told: "He has not been present since last season." Apparently Margiela is unhappy with Diesel's marketing approach and commercial distribution, which has changed since the brand acquired the label in 2002. Friends! We can no longer ignore the situation. A terrible thing is happening in the fashion world: boredom and inertia will set in if we do not get Margiela back. We'll have nothing to talk about at the Paris shows in the autumn. After a quick poll of the Guardian fashion desk, we think he is either: a) Lost in the minimalist section of Ikea. b) So reclusive that he's now living in a cave in the Pyrenees, dancing naked in the snow and surviving off roadkill and pine needles. c) Designing costumes for Cirque de Soleil. Or d) He never existed in the first place. You trusted reader, must get out there, find him, and bring him in. Send any sightings torachel.holmes@guardian.co.uk

BANG ON TREND A classic and versatile look for the summer on that yacht we'll never own. Best achieved with the peg leg shape for this season, and best teamed with a nice deck shoe, a towering heel, or pretty pumps (see - we told you they were versatile). For a very casual look, try Oasis's peg leg jean (which looks more like a rolled up boyfriend jean to us, but what do we know?) for £42. Helmut Lang does a cropped peg leg pair for £205, which would look fab with a strappy, embellished pair of heels and a plain vest top. If you want to tap into this season's safari look, go for Topshop's light grey trousers, £30. They're very Ralph Lauren with a high waist and wide waistband. Wear with a wide vintage leather belt. Warehouse has a fabulous pair of cotton striped trousers, which remind us of being on a rowing boat with the characters from the Wind in the Willows. We can't find them on Warehouse's own website, for some reason, but they are on asos.com for £40.

FASHIONISTA OF THE WEEK Rihanna The quiffed coiffure stepped out last week wearing a clinging Alexander Wang dress, which celebrated her curves. The strapless number looked gorgeous against her skin tone, showing us a different way to work our most-hated shade of nude. Lovely.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK "That first year, I remember partying so hard that I left a nightclub with a gigantic red bowl and walked home with it over my head." Stefano Gabbana admits to thievery and looking daft when he and Domenico Dolce threw their first party at Cannes.

FASHION GRAVEYARD Renaissance prints We're sending Taraji P Henson off to the graveyard this week after she wore a horrendous Roberto Cavalli dress to the MTV Movie Awards. From the front it looked to be a giant cameo brooch displaying some naked pre-Raphaelite ladies; from the back, it was a chicken's bottom.

SHOPPING NEWS We suggest a visit to the Loft Market (Powerscourt Centre) in Dublin to pick up some vintage or one-off designs this weekend. The market is a hotbed of new style and talent. While you're there, check out their latest craft workshops and fashion shows. In other news, we've had a flood of emails about Liam Gallagher's new fashion label, Pretty Green, which launches its debut collection today. Here's a quote from the man himself: "Clothes and music are my passion ... wearing top clothes and singing in tune are pretty important. They're pretty much the same thing". Check out the clothing at prettygreen.com

OUT AND ABOUT If you find yourself in London this weekend and are looking for somewhere to go on Saturday night, you could do worse than checking out the Blitz Party under the railway arches in Shoreditch. Coinciding with the 65th anniversary of D-Day, the venue will be transformed into an East End air raid shelter complete with sandbags, searchlights and bunk beds. Dress code for the ladies is red lippy, drawn-on stockings and parachute silk petticoats. For the gents, dust off those medals and don your braces. For more details and where to buy tickets, visittheblitzparty.com So your evening is sorted, but what to do in the day? Get yourself down to the Design Museum and check out the Super Contemporary exhibition,where they're celebrating London's creative thinkers with fifteen commissions from architects, fashion designers and artists. Tickets cost £5 if bought in advance. If you don't fancy visiting the museum, Covent Garden is hosting one of Paul Smith's new London rubbish bins as part of the exhibition. Designed in the shape of a giant rabbit, the ears light up every time you throw away some litter. Tidying has never been so much fun. If you're a wee bit further north, we have a date for your diary: the Scottish Fashion Awards take place on 21 June, and this year the tartan carpet will bear the heel prints of many a world-famous fashionista. Up for the Scottish Designer of the Year award are Christopher Kane, Graeme Black and Jonathan Saunders, as well as the lesser-known Topshop collaborator, Laura Lees. Holly Fulton, one of our favourites from London fashion week this year, has been nominated for the Young Designer of the Year award.

		OFF-CUTS Take a look at the best outfits on Advanced Style, a blog paying tribute to older hipsters.   Matthew Williamson returns to London fashion week. Classic retro sunglasses are this summer's hottest look, says Emma Sibbles. For the latest news, freshest looks and hot gossip from the world of fashion. Any news to tell us? Email: rachel.holmes@guardian.co.uk