Joan Smalls has no idea which shows she'll be walking in during New York Fashion Week, which kicks off officially today.

Joan Smalls has likened landing a part in a Fashion Week show to a "lottery ticket".

The 25-year-old star is ranked number one on models, but insists that doesn't mean she knows which catwalks she'll be walking during show season. Today is the first official day of New York Fashion Week and Joan is astounded that people think she already has a schedule.

"I'm surprised people still ask that question," she told fashionista, when asked which runways she'd be treading for the US leg of shows.

"No, not because it's so last minute, it's just - you never know if you fit a collection, have the look that [a designer] is going for this season, if you're available to do the show - so many factors play into it that, a lot of times, it's kind of like a lottery ticket."

Joan hasn't considered which presentations she is particularly excited about. For her, show season is more a chance to catch up with friends and share some jokes.

She calls the experience of walking a runway "exhilarating", although that doesn't mean she's calm and collected beforehand - and neither are some of her pals.

"I think [Cara Delevingne's] very comfortable in who she is as a person, so she really puts out whatever she wants people to know. She's very free-spirited, and that's one thing I love about her. Something that people don't know? She gets nervous sometimes doing shows," Joan revealed.

"We all have a little butterfly. I'm like [to Cara], 'Really? After so many shows?' And she's like, 'Yeah, I still get kinda nervous.' I think that's cute. It shows a little vulnerability, regardless if the world sees you in a certain way - we're still human and we still have different emotions, as well."

Joan spoke of her excitement at being ranked top on models, admitting she is very competitive with herself and has always wanted that spot. She even told Lara Stone she was after her position when they worked together and is proud to have pushed herself so much.

Much has been made of the model's mixed heritage, which she was also quizzed about. While she can understand why people are interested in her, she refuses to be pinned down.

"People always try to claim you, and I think that's amazing - claim me all you want. I don't like specifically being in one category because I come from a family that's diverse and multi-racial. My mother is Puerto Rican, she's light skinned, but if you know what a Puerto Rican is, it has African, it has Taíno Indian and it has Spaniard, so I'm all of that. My father is West Indian from Saint Thomas. I'm just an island girl. I'm West Indian, I'm Puerto Rican, I'm African, I'm Taíno, I have some Irish in me, I have some Indian, so I'm just a proud mutt," she said.