Model and runway coach Keysi Sayago found herself on the other side of a runway lesson she teaches others to avoid after stumbling three times during her first New York Fashion Week appearance.
On 11 September, Sayago walked for Modest Now at Rockefeller Center's rooftop gardens, wearing a white textured jacket, long skirt, and platform shoes for the all-white Spring/Summer 2027 Fatimah collection from AGNI by Vita Bayu Putri × ADITH.
She stumbled once while walking alone and twice while standing alongside other models.
Getting Back Up
In a 15-September Instagram post, Sayago expressed disappointment over the falls and opened up about the pressure she felt after the incident.
'I felt awful. Because I was letting myself down, and I was letting down the people who organised the event – the designer who trusted me to close the show and carry their designs down that runway,' she wrote.
The incident was especially embarrassing for Sayago given her role as a runway coach.
'I felt horrible because it was happening to me. But I had to get up,' Sayago wrote. 'That was the only thing I could control, and I did it.'
She then talked about moving forward instead of letting the mistake define her, adding that the experience taught her valuable lessons about herself.
'I didn't beat myself up afterwards, because I refuse to be defined by this one moment, and I let my loved one hug me and comfort me, because that's exactly what I needed,' she said.
'I still feel embarrassed – but I can also laugh about it. I mean... look at it. It's really funny!!'
When Models Fall
Runway falls can occur even among the industry's most established models. Naomi Campbell's 1993 fall in Vivienne Westwood platform shoes became one of the era's most iconic runway moments.
The incident continued to draw attention long after the show. Nearly 26 years later, Campbell discussed it in a British Vogue interview with Westwood.
'I was embarrassed because also it was not the right time of the month for a woman to fall, and I felt like I should have practised more ... there's a trick to walking in your shoes,' she said.
'The most important thing is that I said to myself, 'Get up and keep going; that's all you have to do.'
Campbell said she laughed at the press coverage the following day and was even asked by designers to recreate the fall at their shows.
'They asked me if I would do it, and I said, 'Absolutely not; it goes against everything that I stand for. I'm not falling purposefully,' she said.
The Victoria and Albert Museum featured the moment for its 2024 exhibition honouring Campbell and displayed the original blue platform shoes she wore.
Moving Forward
For Sayago, the experience reminded her that while you can help others deal with their mistakes, you must also be prepared to face your own challenges.
Her response echoed the idea behind Campbell's famous fall: stand up again, move on, and don't let one moment define your career and major achievements.
