Everyone's favorite smizing tycoon, Tyra Banks, recently announced a new project: A flashy theme park named Modelland, set to open in Santa Monica at the end of 2019. The first-of-its-kind 21,000-square-foot space will combine entertainment, interactive experiences, retail, and special events. The underlying theme? To bring modeling to the masses so every single visitor can celebrate her or his “flawsome-ness.”
In an interview with WWD, Banks explained, “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.” This theme park, which borrows its name from Banks’ 2011 young adult novel, builds off of the model’s mission to expand our culture’s definition of beauty and empower people to feel happy and comfortable in the skin they’re in.
The park will create “a new world of storytelling and adventure in a grand, fantastical, physical place.” While the undertaking has been 10 years in the making, specific details about the park’s experiences are under wraps for now, but models-in-the-making can stay tuned for updates at Model-Land.com.
We do know that the multi-level adventure will open at Macerich’s Santa Monica Place, an outdoor shopping mall in the heart of Santa Monica. Known for its breezily beautiful space and upscale offerings (think Louis Vuitton, Emporio Armani, and Tiffany & Co.), Santa Monica Place perfectly complements Banks’ fierce vision. After a day at Modelland, guests can enjoy a luxury shopping experience at one of Santa Monica’s many boutiques or take a stroll along the famous pier, complete with solar-powered Ferris wheel.
The fierce and fabulous doors to Modelland aren’t set to open until late 2019, but hard hat tours will be available as early as August. After announcing the park on her Instagram last week, Banks announced, “My dream for you will soon become a reality,” adding in a statement that “Modelland is all about celebrating your flawsome self. We are fun. We are fierce. We are fantasy. And, we are for real.”
