In the cycle 10 premiere, 30 girls enter Top Model Prep with instructors Jay Manuel and J. Alexander and quickly begin their modeling education. Assignments include showing off their runway strut in a hallway, posing for their class photo and a brief conference with the judges.
The girls check out their new apartment in New York City and admire the humanitarian theme behind this year's loft. Once everyone is settled, they are taken to Times Square for an impromptu Badgley Mischa fashion show.
Elle Macpherson surprises the girls at a photo shoot and they model her new lingerie line after getting makeovers. Tyra decides the look for each girl but not everyone agrees with her decisions. Meanwhile, tension flares in the house between Fatima and Allison after Fatima implies that Allison is fat and Allison responds with racially insensitive remarks. At panel, Allison and Dominique are in the bottom two, and Allison is eliminated.
The models are called to duty with Miss J and the New York City Fire Department where the girls strut their stuff and show off their quick-change skills.
Benny Ninja, famous for his posing skills, teams up with supermodel Vendela to teach the girls the different stances for catalog, commercial and couture shoots by pitting them against each other in a posing battle on the streets of New York. Marvita starts to feel the pressure of the competition and questions whether she is Top Model material. At panel, Marvita and Whitney are in the bottom two, and Marvita is eliminated.
Tyra surprises the girls in a dance studio and teaches them how to work their fierceness while posing at the end of a runway. During a pose-off in front of Tyra, Anya earns the opportunity to work with judge/photographer Nigel Barker while posing nude.
The models are spilt into two teams for go-sees with Shoshanna Lonstein, Pamella Roland and Stacey Bendit from Alice & Olivia. The girls join Mr. J for a photo shoot on Broadway at the Fuerza Bruta show and find out they will be shot through a plastic sheet while laying face down in water. Claire is injured, while another gets a second makeover at the shoot. At panel, Claire and Lauren are in the bottom two, and Claire is eliminated.
A look at never-before-seen footage of the contestants that includes the ladies battling with posing instructor Benny Ninja and his team, New York City firefighters practicing their runway struts and contestant wrestling matches.
Paulina drops by the loft to surprise the girls with tips on how to behave during press interviews and while attending public events. The girls are dressed by designer Jay Godfrey and must mingle with fashion world VIPs at a cocktail party.
The models head to Rome for the second part of the competition and are thrilled with their new home. The girls face their biggest challenge yet when they are told they will be filming a Cover Girl commercial - in Italian. Whitney and Lauren are in the bottow two at panel, and Lauren is eliminated.
The models embrace their inner warriors when they learn Gladiator-style fighting complete with swords. The challenge winner hits the streets of Rome on a shopping spree. Tyra photographs the models in an old Roman castle and is startled by one model's unique beauty. At panel, Whitney and Katarzyna are in the bottom two, and Katarzyna is eliminated.
The final four models step behind to photograph Paulina Porizkova and later pose as famous movie icons in a shoot with photographer Nigel Barker. The girls are on edge when they learn that none of the judges are impressed with any of their final portraits. Dominique and Fatima are in the bottom two at panel, and Dominique is eliminated.
Cycle nine winner Saleisha Stowers stops by to cheer on the contestants during their Cover Girl commercial and print ad shoot. Fatima fails to deliver and is sent packing. The final two face off on the runway at a Versace fashion show, and Whitney is crowned the winner.