Tyson Beckford looked ''like a [Ralph Lauren] ad'' during his school years.

The 49-year-old model has admitted to being extremely fashion-conscious during his younger years, and he was particularly keen to wear the American brand during his time at school, long before he was paid to do so.

Speaking about his school attire, Tyson told Us Weekly: ''I didn't want to be like, 'I got new clothes. I want to show it off,' so I kind of mixed up something old with new.

''My sneakers were always the main focus because I would build the outfit from there.

''I looked like a [Ralph Lauren] ad going to school because that's what I wore in junior high school and high school long before I even got a chance to work for the brand.''

Meanwhile, Tyson recently insisted Kanye West isn't ''ready'' to become the US President.

The model thinks Kanye's ambition is misguided and has instead encouraged the rap star to stick to what he knows.

He said: ''This is where I always get into trouble because I speak the truth. I don't know what's going on, but he's really getting himself in a pot of tea that's not ready for him.

''I try to never speak bad. I've seen him and his lady, [wife Kim Kardashian], do some positive things, and I kind of wish they would just stay on that. That vibe running a country - it's not an easy thing.''

Tyson thinks the US needs to choose the most capable person for the role, rather than the person with the biggest profile.

He explained: ''It's time that we don't pick people because they're popular.

''I think we need to start picking people because it's something that they do for a living. It's like, if you get on a plane and there's no pilot and then one of the customers says, 'OK, I'm going to get up and fly.'

''Are you going to deboard the plane, or are you going to stay on the plane and take this flight? I'm not getting on a plane with a pilot ... who's not a pilot. That's just crazy.''