Former supermodel Tyra Banks has inked a deal to create a new fashion and beauty website.
Banks' New York company, Bankable, is partnering with Los Angeles-based Demand Media on ventures that will include creating an Internet site, producing online video segments and developing a series of applications for smartphones.
In a statement, Banks said: "I'm looking to create an engine that would provide my audience with inspirational and instructional content to help them look and feel their best."
Nypost.com reports that Banks has always aspired to build a media empire by publishing books and hosting the talk show “The Tyra Banks Show” in addition to being a part of "America's Next Top Model" series.
She recently quit her five-year-old talk show to pursue the online venture.
But the 36-year-old is not getting encouragement from industry consultants.
She should "stick to beauty and fashion because that's what she knows", said Michael Stone, CEO of the Beanstalk Group, a New York branding consultant.