Tyra Banks Shares Secret History Of This Iconic Photo With Black Top Models

Sometimes there are moments in history that call for icons to be given their flowers, while they’re still alive. One of those was when Iman gathered 16 of the top Black supermodels in the world to pose for her I Am Iman book— that was featured in the September 2001 Vanity Fair. 

Tyra Banks, who was featured in the beautiful spread wearing a black slip dress, recalls what it was like being on set. 

“I was really into photography at the time, so I did a bunch of scenes —black and white pictures— of this whole process,” Banks told Yes, Girl!. 

“I have my own photo album of the behind the scenes of this entire day. We did this whole big group picture… and then I had the idea to say, ‘Do you guys mind’, asking the whole group, ‘if I did a photo with Naomi Campbell, Iman and Beverly Johnson.’ Just because I know that we’re kind of like the generations, cornerstones.”

Adding, “So we did a photo together and I don’t know where the hell it is. So Annie Leibovitz has it somewhere. I’ve kind of seen it once, but I just find that to be so iconic. It would have really been nice to have.”

In terms of a newer version being done, the model-entrepreneur said she would love to see the current “It” girls do one. 

“We need to update it,” Banks said. “I want to put Jourdan Dunn and Joan Smalls… all of them.”

Annie Leibovitz/ I Am Iman

As a way to share her story via images and highlight amazing models of color, Iman dropped 'I Am Iman' in 2001. The book featured the iconic photo of all the top models of the time that was also featured in Vanity Fair.