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Tyra truly cannot be stopped. The “America’s Next Top Model” creator and former Victoria’s Secret model has shared her plans to open a 21,000-square-foot theme park experience in Santa Monica sometime this year. Named after her 2010 YA novel “Modelland,” the attraction will be a permanent fixture at Santa Monica Place and feature interactive entertainment, retail shops and user-generated content.
Speaking with Women’s Wear Daily, Banks said that the goal with all of her ventures has always been to make everyone see the light within themselves, something that she believes modeling is able to do.
“I created ‘Top Model’ to expand the definition of beauty based on my own pain of being told ‘no’ that I couldn’t do something because I’m curvy or I’m black. My empathy for women in general increased through the experience,” she said. “And now with Modelland, I’m taking it 10 steps forward, giving people the opportunity to engage with the elusive world by opening it up to everyone.”
She’s not stopping in Santa Monica, either. Banks is hoping Modelland will become a place of intrigue and confidence for her guests that will last for a while, where anyone can feel like a model.
“Men, women, families, all generations can come and enter this model world for a day, have a fun shopping experience and an eventful meal. This will be the first of many,” she said.
While this is all well and good (and I’ll definitely make it a point to visit if I find myself in Santa Monica once it’s open), if Tyra freakin’ Banks can open a theme park just because, I think plenty of other celebs can do it, too. Here are some of my ideas that I fully expect to be compensated for should they come to fruition.