Tyson Beckford is the only Black male model and one of few male models in general to become a household name.  Beckford gained international fame as a Ralph Lauren model in the mid-90s, named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" by "People" magazine in 1995 and has walked catwalks with his urban-meets-high-fashion-style from Milan to New York City. 

Now, Tyson is on his second season as host of “Make Me a Supermodel,” which airs every Wednesday at 10PM on Bravo.  In this interview, the well-preserved 38 year-old talks fashion, Diddy and those pesky gay rumors. 

When you were promoting “Make Me a Supermodel” last year you said you didn't have as much creative control as you would've liked.  How is it different this time around with the second season?   Second season I got a chance to really talk with the kids.  I'm a mentor, not a judge anymore.  Being a mentor you get to talk with them more and you don't have to keep a certain distance.  As a judge, you weren't allowed to really get too close to them.  I was also able to talk to the producers and tell them how fashion really is and how we can make it better. 

There is an idea that modeling reality show competitions don't reflect the fashion world.  In what ways does your show reflect what is really going on in fashion?
For one, we are the only show that has a designer on it by the name of Catherine Malandrino.  You don't even have to say any more after that one! 

Do you ever feel bad about critiquing somebody and seeing them heartbroken or crying?
Anything or everything you see on television is nothing compared to what the real world is like.  So, we're actually preparing you for what is really going to happen when you get out there.  They're not going to be as nice as we are.  I’ve had my book thrown back at me.  The world of fashion is not easy just like the world of life is not easy. There are wars going on in the world and there are people starving.  That's the reality of it. It's not an easy business.  People sometimes think it's an easy business, but it's really not. As we say in the hood, "Don't get it twisted!" 

As a Black model, when you’re casting a show like this is it important for you to have diversity on the show or are you just looking for the best model?
Actually, we're doing both.  We're looking for the best and we'd also like to cast diversity.  If we didn't do that I wouldn't be here.  You try to look for the best and a lot of times the best is Black, Latino, or a diverse model.  We have Brazilian, we have a guy from Trinidad, we have guys who are part Asian—so we pretty much cover the board. 

I know reality shows weren't big when you first started out, but if you would've been on a model reality show competition in the beginning of your career—how do you think you would've done?
I think I would've won it!  I think I would've won it because there was no one like me when I was coming out. There were no guys walking in with Timberlands, jeans sagging and the wifebeater on—you know, with swagger.  The boyish face with the muscles and the tattoos, it was these White boys from the Midwest who didn’t listen to hip hop, who didn't have that bounce in their walk.  Once I got on the catwalk, my swagger, my bounce was so much different from everyone else.  My whole look was just different, just caught people's attention.  Look at the size of my lips, ain’t nobody in modeling had lips like mine at the time. [Laughs] Now you got all these guys who have come in, which I kind of opened the door for all of them, it's definitely changed how the face of fashion is now for young Black brothers coming up. 

Is there a physical trait about yourself that you don't like?
When I smile too hard you can't see my eyes.  [Laughs] Not that I don't like it, but I've had a lot of photographers tell me to open my eyes and I'm like, "They're open!" That's just the Asian in me.  There is nothing I can do about that. 

I read an article recently saying "Black models are in again" because of the Italian issue of "Vogue" this summer that featured all Black models and the Milan's Men's Fashion, which was lead by you, had predominately Black male models.  How true do you think "Black models are in again" is?
I don't think it's true.  We'd like to think we're back in again; we'd like to think we never left.  The truth of the matter—we're being ostracized, we're being pushed out of the business.  Even though we put on our Rip the Runways and things of that matter, the truth of it is, that's not even the scratch of the surface.  We need to write letters and tell some of these designers that they need to start using more people of color, whether they are Black, Latino, Asian—something.  We're running out buying Louis Vuitton, we're spending money on all this high-end fashion and when you flip through these magazines of American "Vogue,” you don't even see our image.  We're a major buying power in this country.  Look what we did; we helped get a Black man in office.  How many brothers do you know that got about a 100 pair of sneakers or at least 50 pair of jeans?  The average White guy maybe has three pairs of sneakers; maybe he’s got like four pairs of jeans.  We're not saying enough.  We're not writing these letters like our White consumers do and complain. 
 
What do you think about all of the hip-hop and R&B artists who have become fashion designers or released clothing lines?
No offense, you can call it what you want, but it's not high fashion.  That's cool but that's doing nothing for the cause.  What we need are the designers for high fashion.  So, I salute them, but step your game up.  It's cool to be in Dr. Jay's but get yourself into Macy's, get yourself up there.  If Dolce & Gabbana can open a high-end store why can't we?

I know you and Diddy had some strife but you walked in his fashion show last year.  Have you guys fully reconciled?
Well, the thing is between me and him, it's all business.  It was so important that I walked in that show, not because he was Diddy or I was Tyson.  It was more we were both two Black men fighting for the same cause.  We might not get along, but we can put our differences aside and say, "Look, I might not like you or you might not like me, but we are two Black men trying to fight for a cause that is bigger than both of us—so, let's just do this."  That’s the attitude I went in with.  We didn’t really speak a whole lot, but when it comes to something like bettering or empowering Black people, me and Diddy get it.   We might not agree with each other, but we are still going to get together and make it happen. 
 
Are you single?
No, I’m not, but I'm like Brad Pitt and Angelina and Beyonce and Jay-Z—I just like to keep my relationship on the under.  The thing I get all the time is, "Oh, he's gay, he gotta be!  We never see him out with a girl."  Well, I don’t want the world in my business because you got so many people like the bloggers, the paparazzi, YouTube, the camera phones—everybody is always in your business.  Those who seen me with her know that she’s stunning.  I just don’t want the world to know yet, it’s none of their business. 

Yeah, all those rumors -- I never thought you were gay.
Yeah, it's just one hater that put that on me.  But, don't get me wrong, I work with GLAAD, I work with Gay Men's Health Crisis—I work with all of that.  It's just I'm a straight man who got a little bit of style so they just say, "He's gay." 

Whenever Black men support gay people, people get crazy about that.  It's a shame.
Exactly!  My cousin is gay and I love him to death.  I have more fun hanging out with him than I do my straight friends because he's got style, he's got flavor.  I can take him shoe shopping with me and my girl, we know we're getting the best advice.  To me, it's like the best of both worlds.  As soon as people see me, "Oh, he's gay."  I'm like, well, I don't have that much flavor.  I got flavor but I don’t have that much. I love my gay brothers and sisters.

What are your thoughts on the Chris Brown and Rihanna situation?
Like I said, I don’t really like other people in my business so I don’t like to get in theirs. But, I just want those two young people to work it out. So many young people look up to them and it's very important that they set an example for all the other young people.  He's in a whole world of hurt right now and I know he realizes what he did was wrong.  He's got to go through all the trouble that comes with that.  Hopefully, he gets counseling and understands what he did wasn't right.  I wasn't there in that car so I don’t know but I wish the two of them the best because they are such a beautiful couple.  We want to see them make it and they are one of the few Black, strong couples we have out there so you want to see positive come out of this. 

Any last shout outs to the people at BET who support you?
I just say thank you, keep supporting.  We're going to keep making real good fashion shows.  We're going to make it about fashion.  We're not about the drama and people fighting over Red Bulls or who looks better.  It's about the game of fashion and people getting involved. 

Was that a hit to Tyra? [Laughs]
It's not a hit to Tyra because without Tyra we wouldn't be where we are.

True.
So, I thank her.  It's two positive Black images on television.  People always think we're up against Tyra; I'm not up against my sister.  I've been on her show.  I don't get on shows that I don't believe in and I stand behind her.  I'm glad she's doing her thing.  But, we're just going another way with ours.  

Check out more of Tyson Beckford on "Make Me a Supermodel," which airs every Wednesday on the Bravo Network.  Click here for details.