Mariah Carey and Leonardo DiCaprio Get Down

Her first shoot was with Mario Sorrenti and Edward Enninful. Her first runway show was Derek Lam. And the first fashion party thrown in her honor drew Naomi Campbell, Maria Carey, and Leonardo DiCaprio—and featured a flash mob courtesy of The Dance Cartel. It’s the stuff that aspiring models dream of, but for Alexis Primous, who won the #WmagModelSearch on Instagram, it’s real life. Still, at Monday evening’s W Magazine and IMG Models party at One World Trade Center, Primous managed to play it cool—at least until she met her idol Shanina Shaik. “I’m at a loss for words!” she said after, mentioning she’s met more than a few idols this week. Who, exactly? “I don’t like to name drop…” she demurred.

The model was, however, happy to share the wisdom she’s gleaned during her short career. “You can learn from just about anybody—your hairstylist, your makeup artist, the photographer, your bookers,” Primous said. “The biggest thing I’ve learned is just to listen.” Also on hand was runner up Nicole Troccoli, who held her own among a crowd of IMG all-stars like Coco Rocha, Elsa Hosk, and Devon Windsor. Her most valuable lesson? “To keep a level head and be grounded.” Mission accomplished.