If there's one misconception that deserves to be locked away for good, it's that models don't work. Simply put: Much like any other career, they do. And though the exposure they receive to every facet of the industry (designers, bookers, agents) is meant to prepare them for a successful career, even after multiple trainings and orientations, it's up to the models themselves to maintain relevance.Recently, we took a trip to Wilhelmina Models to see just what it takes to become — and remain — the next big thing. Long gone is the era of being discovered at Primark trying on sunglasses , or being at the supermarket and simply "meeting the right person at the right time;" a lot has changed since then (including the industry). But with Fashion Month well underway (we're coming up on the curtails of Paris Fashion Week), we wanted to get the scoop on one of the most important parts of being a model (especially today): a signature walk. Marissa Surmenkow , one of three development board heads at the agency, gave us the behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to go from baby giraffe in heels to panther-on-the-runway status."I've been in the industry for over 10 years, always in scouting and development, so [teaching the girls to walk] was always part of the process," Surmenkow says. "I think for people looking to get into this, a lot of runway coaches we see are ex-models or just...performers. When you're on the runway, it's a performance. The designer is going to give you all sorts of cues of how to look, expression, energy, how quickly to walk, how slow to walk...And it might be a high-energy show or it might be something quite simple and clean, so you have to be able to adapt to each environment."