America's Next Top Teen Model?
Tyra Banks announced her latest modeling competition — the first-ever "fiercely real" plus-sized teen model search.
The talk show host, 36, made the announcement on The Tyra Show on Monday and put out a call for women between the ages of 13 and 19 to enter.
The only requirements? The teens must have a dress size of 12 to 20 and stand 5'9"- 6'1" tall, she told UsMagazine.com in a statement.
"I've always felt it was my mission to expand the narrow perceptions of beauty," she told Us. "Through America's Next Top Model, True Beauty and The Tyra Show, I challenge industry and universal standards by featuring and celebrating non-traditional beauty, and stressing that true beauty is both inside and out."
Banks said she was unhappy that the term "plus-sized" has such a "negative connotation" in today's society.
"I want young girls to realize that what's considered plus-sized is the average American woman," Banks said. "That woman is healthy, fit and beautiful. Adolescence is such an impressionable time in a young woman's life, and I hope this contest helps teen girls discover their own beauty from the inside out."
The finalists will be introduced on the March 2 episode of her talk show, and the winner of the Fiercely Real Teen Model Search will be crowned the following day. The winner will receive a one-year modeling contract and a spread in a major fashion magazine.
For more information, check out The Tyra Show's official site.