Tyra Banks has jumped to ’s defence after the Skims campaign .
Kim failed to break the internet in the way she hoped when she , featuring Tyra, and Victoria’s Secret Angels Heidi Klum, Candice Swanepoel and Alessandra Ambrosio.
The photoshoot, which was supposed to be ’empowering’ for the , sparked backlash online, as followers accused Kim of editing Tyra’s figure in the final pictures.
Now, the 48-year-old model has defended Kim, saying the images are ’empowering’ to her, as a ‘curvier’ woman who is reaching 50 years old.
Appearing on TODAY with Hoda and Jenna on Friday, Kim and Tyra addressed the controversy around the campaign.
Tyra explained that Skims aligned with what she prides herself on standing for regarding the brand’s inclusivity, saying: ‘This is what I’ve been talking about for decades.
‘So, me curvier, me damn near almost 50 years old in this campaign — I think it is pretty empowering,’ she continued.
Tyra also added that Kim had been impressed by her natural figure in other campaigns, like the cover shoot for Sport Illustrated, saying that Kim had told her ‘she hadn’t seen boobs that were real and big,’ which empowered her own sense of self and body-image.
Tyra continued: ‘She said that that gave her self-esteem for her body. So we had, like, a serious conversation, and I finally said, ”Let’s do this!”
Kim added that she had known Tyra ‘for a really long time’, and gushed: ‘I just have so much respect for her, so we just had an honest, heart-to-heart conversation, and she got to hear about what the brand stands for, why I started the brand and just all about supporting women.’
Tyra previously spoke to Vogue about how the photoshoot came to be, saying: ‘Kim reached out to me, and we had a beautiful heart-to-heart conversation about the campaign. I’ve respected her business savvy for quite a while, after that call, my respect grew to an even greater level.
‘Kim dropped words of wisdom from her mom that echoed sage advice my mom has shared with me over the years. I hadn’t modeled lingerie and undergarments in so long, but I said yes after speaking with Kim and hearing her thoughtful, loving, and instinctive words!
‘Kim has made her mark in the shapewear industry and hearing her talk about what makes her brand different is inspiring. I lectured for three years at Stanford’s Business School, and the first thing I would tell my students is, “Different is better than better.” With Skims, Kim is embodying that fully.
‘I feel this when I see the products in the world, when I wear the products, how I see them position and market the products. It’s all different. And that’s what makes Skims extra special. I am so proud to collaborate with her and these Icons. Kim, thank you for that heart-to-heart call we had about this campaign. All I can say is, “You were right.”’
