By Marie-Antoinette Issa.
From magazine covers to mentoring aspiring models, Tyra Banks is the Queen of Cool. Her latest venture is taking things literally - with the Sports Illustrated icon officially launching her own premium ice cream brand, Smize & Dream, in Australia.
Named for the supermodel-turned-reality-TV star’s signature instructions to ‘Smize’ - meaning to smile with your eyes - these sweet treats are designed to encourage dreamers to dig a little deeper (there’s a bonus treat hidden within the depths of each scoop) and guaranteed to leave you grinning.
A sweet start
Ahead of the opening of the brand’s highly anticipated Darling Harbour flagship, Tyra’s Time Travel Tasting Tour continues to whisk ice cream lovers around Sydney to discover past, present and future-inspired flavours.
Kicking off the treat trek, while bringing a sprinkle of nostalgia to the Harbour City’s historic heart, was the PAST Station (which launched at The Rocks on January 23) where Tyra tended to sweet teeth with a selection of scoops inspired by childhood throwbacks.
Think: Mama Carolyn’s Masterpiece of Cake (an ode to her beloved mother’s legendary yellow cake infused with rich swirls of homemade chocolate buttercream frosting); Tyra’s Favourite made with salted caramel butter and butter-roasted pecans and Miss Coco Lamington.
This is a collaboration with cult Australian bakery Tokyo Lamington, which transforms the beloved Aussie treat into a creamy indulgence that combines coconut and vanilla ice cream with chunks of sponge cake, raspberry jam and toasted coconut brittle.
A taste of Tyra…with an Aussie edge
Following her official relocation Down Under, the Tyra Tour continued in earnest with the catwalk-turned-cone Queen’s PRESENT station serving up her ice cream with local twist at Broadway Shopping Centre.
To celebrate her new home here, Tyra crafted another exclusive flavour inspired by the iconic Aussie umami flavour bomb that is Vegemite.
G’Day G’Night is a sweet-and-savoury combo featuring salted honey caramel ice cream, smoked sea salt and housemade crunchy Vegemite Brittle. Much like the diva herself, both a little daring and yet an absolute delight.
Next stop on the Tyra time travel tasting tour: The future
Finally, to deliver a sweet finish to her tour, the Smize & Dream FUTURE Cart is set to arrive at Level 3, Bondi Junction Westfield Centre, Sydney on March 13. It’s here where things get wild.
Expect bold, experimental flavours designed to push the boundaries of what ice cream can be. In fact, with offerings like Brownies on the Barbie, Matcha Mochi Doughchi and Purple Cookie Mon-Star, you could say this Ty-conic collab is anything but vanilla…
