Fashion shows are meant to be all style, poise and smooth sailing. But anyone who’s spent enough time watching them knows that even the best models can become a crumpled mess on the floor.
That’s one of those things that is equally wince-inducing and weirdly interesting. No one enjoys seeing someone injure themselves, but there is something strangely relatable about watching someone trip over expensive shoes that no average person could walk in.
Over the years a couple of runways falls have really stuck in people’s minds, replayed over and over because they were hilarious or shocking or just plain human error. These are five of the most-discussed spills in fashion history.
Naomi Campbell at Vivienne Westwood, 1993
This one is legendary. It’s something even people who don’t dabble in fashion know about.
Naomi Campbell was already a supermodel when she walked Vivienne Westwood’s runway in platform shoes so high they could have doubled as stilts.
She got quite a way before crashing, legs splaying beneath her.
What made it iconic was not just the fall — it was how she handled it. Naomi plopped down on the runway and laughed, then sprang up and continued on her way. It made her seem more real. You still look back at those photographs of her beaming on the floor and think, fair play.
Her career took no hits at all. If anything, it only made her more popular.
Agyness Deyn’s Double Trouble in 2010
Agyness Deyn was a very popular face in the 2000s- the short hair, the Northern accent, the cool tomboy. She was one of Britain’s big modelling exports.
But she had a nightmare in 2010 at the Fashion for Relief charity show organized by Naomi Campbell.
She fell once, which is plenty bad. But after giggling at herself to the sound of applause, she continued — and once again toppled in those impossible heels.
Eventually, she kicked the shoes off and completed the race barefoot. The crowd loved it.
That moment went viral not because people enjoyed seeing her fail, but because she didn’t take herself too seriously. She transformed a humiliating moment into something genuinely humorous and even a little gutsy.
Bella Hadid’s Tumble at Michael Kors, 2016
Bella Hadid has strutted practically every major runway. But even she’s had her lapses.
She was in a black dress and very high stilettos at the Michael Kors show in 2016. But halfway down the runway, she stumbled and fell to the ground, onto her knees and hands, in full view of everyone.
It was no modest stumble — it was a straight-up fall.
Pictures of the moment were everywhere the next day. But she rose with a big smile and skated to the finish like nothing had gone wrong. A number of fans thanked her for not sulking or appearing embarrassed.
If anything, it proved she was a good sport and able to laugh at herself.
Candice Swanepoel at Givenchy, 2015
Candice Swanepoel is one of those models who generally looks like she couldn’t trip if she tried. But not even she was immune to the curse of treacherous runways.
She stumbled during Givenchy’s show in New York. Really hard.
She stumbled on the uneven floor and fell to her knees and hands. To make matters worse, her heels were stuck in her gown, which made it difficult to stand up.
What people were compelled by was how the audience rallied around her. Front-row guests got up and picked her up and put her back on her feet.
In a later post, she shared a picture of her scraped knees and thanked everyone for the support. It served as a reminder that even in a world that can appear cold and glamorous, there is a place for the tiniest bit of kindness.
The Famous “Sex and the City” Dior Fall
This one is not technically real life — this reunion was taped for TV. But you’d be pressed to find anyone who hasn’t seen it.
The Sex and the City episode in which Carrie Bradshaw struts down a charity fashion show runway remains iconic. She’s nervous but excited, dressed in her designer clothes and her very high heels.
She walks it down the catwalk before face-planting onto the floor. Her entire dumbfounded sprawl is painfully realistic.
Even though it was scripted, people who know how frightening it is to fall down in front of a crowd were struck by what happened. It has been shared to the end of the internet and name-checked in real-life model mishaps.
Why We Love (and Cringe at) These Moments
There is something honest about these falls. Fashion shows are based on perfection. Perfect clothes, perfect hair, perfect walk.
But people aren’t perfect.
Every time a model trips, the illusion is shattered for a moment. It’s a reminder for all of us watching that they’re just people. They’re just talented, pretty people but are human afterall and all the rules of gravity apply to them as well.
The best thing about it, though, is how they respond to it. Most don’t storm off or cry. They laugh it off, wave it away, move on. Which might be why so many of these isolated moments go viral. They’re not just funny. They’re strangely reassuring.
A Bit of Respect for Models
It’s easy to mock someone falling over. But if you’ve ever tried walking in heels—let alone six-inch designer ones on a slippery catwalk with cameras flashing in your face—you’ll know it’s not easy.
Models often wear outfits that are tight, heavy or awkward. They’re expected to look effortless in shoes no sane person would wear.
Given all that, it’s amazing they don’t fall more often.
Final Thoughts
Those viral runway falls didn’t end anyone’s career. If everything, they presented the other side of the industry — the one less about perfection and more about getting right back up when you fall.
So the next time you watch a clip like the one above, try to see the moment right after the stumble instead. The laughter, the grace of getting up. That’s the thing that’s important.
It’s a little reminder that style isn’t only how we look. Sometimes, it’s about putting on a happy face, even when you’re picking yourself up from the floor.
