In the fashion industry runway models dread one thing: tumbling on the catwalk.

No girl wants to take a tumble but catwalk fall is inevitable. For as long as fashion shows have long and slippery runways and for as long as sky-high shoes are deemed fashionable, there will always be models falling down and drawing attention for all the wrong reasons.

The show has become interesting. The shoes remain in the fashion scene. But no one cares to ask, “Whatever happened to that girl who fell on the Prada show last year?”

The sad news is that there are agents who “quietly” drop models after their runway tumbles, especially those promising few who are dubbed as the “new faces”. Unfair as it may seem, but that is how the industry works.

You see, a model’s walk is part of her allure. Mastering her signature catwalk will get her more runway gigs and advertising campaigns. Tumbling down is not an option. To fall down on the runway wearing designer clothes, in front of countless photographers and industry insiders, is a testimony of the model’s incompetence in her profession.

Tripping and tumbling during the fashion show, the runway model will also compromise the designer’s clothes. Instead of making the clothes look fantastic, she’s giving a message to everyone that the clothes are uncomfortable and potentially dangerous to wear. And that’s just bad publicity for the fashion label.

But catwalk fall is not the end of a model’s career, particularly for those who already have established profiles and clienteles.

When supermodel Naomi Campbell stumbled on the Vivienne Westwood runway in 1993, it earned fantastic publicity both for her and for the fashion label. Instead of ruining her career or that of Vivienne Westwood’s reputation as a designer, the catwalk fall even became a global issue that people take in a light-hearted way.

The same also happened to British “Model of the Moment” Agyness Deyn. Wearing 7 inches Burberry platform shoes, she stumbled on the Fashion for Relief Haiti runway during the 2010 Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week (that was coincidentally organized by Naomi Campbell.) She fell down not just once but twice so that she took the shoes off and walked barefoot on the runway.

Did the fall hurt their careers? Not at all. In fact, they were praised by fashion insiders for being brave.

Falling down the catwalk and embarrassing themselves, Naomi Campbell and Agyness Deyn share the experience of starting young models. However, they manage to keep their profession intact by looking unfazed and even smiling after the fall, reminding everyone that they are indeed a “character”.

If you are a runway model who’s just starting out with your career, practice and master your catwalk strut in high-heeled shoes. Stay focused and firm your strut on the slippery runway. When you tumble, just get up and start smiling and continue walking with grace – that will make you a “character”.

When you become a supermodel, well, you can actually pressure the designers to give you comfortable shoes!

That’s how Gisele Bunchen assessed the situation when she was cast for the Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2011 fashion show. At 30, the supermodel realized she has reached the prime of her career and is not used to walking with heels on the runway anymore. She demanded flat shoes or she will not walk at all. She got her way.

To pressure a fashion label to prioritize your comfort before their runway schemes, you must first become a “somebody” like Gisele.