Supermodel Joan Smalls on New York Fashion Week and her rise to the top

For her upcoming special Fashion: Backstage Pass, CNN’s Alina Cho reports on up-and-coming model and Estée Lauder spokeswoman Joan Smalls.

Reflecting on the moment she realized she’d become a success, Smalls says, “I think you kind of feel it that when you want something so bad and when something great happens, I think it is instinct. That you say this is going to be the moment that is going to change everything.”

She continues, “I always wanted the greater and the bigger… I came here with a purpose and you know, to finally achieve it, and to also be an inspiration to others.”

Fashion: Backstage Pass airs Saturday, February 25th from 2:30-3:00pm ET on CNN.