Lucky Blue Smith Talks Instagram, Sisters and Crazy Fans

They call Lucky Blue Smith the Justin Bieber of the modelling world. Wherever he goes during fashion month, hordes of screaming girls follow – they aptly call themselves Lucky Charms – all hoping to get at least a picture with the teen sensation. A few lucky ones even get to peck him on the cheek. No male model in history, not even old- timers Sean O’Pry and David Gandy, the highest paid in the field according to Forbes, has received anything close to the level of attention that Smith has from his fans. On Instagram, the platinum blonde heartthrob has amassed over 1.3 million followers – far more than O’Pry and Gandy combined. Smith, however, still doesn’t understand why girls go cuckoo for him. “Honestly, I’m still kind of new to it, but it’s really fun, I love it. They are the sweetest girls, and some boys. It’s really sweet and really fun.”

Smith hails from Utah, where he was raised Mormon alongside his ridiculously good- looking older sisters Starlie Cheyenne, Daisy Clementine and Pyper America. All four Smiths are signed with Next Model Management. While the youngest Smith is no stranger to modelling – his first gig was an editorial shoot with Hedi Slimane back when he was 12 – his career really took off earlier this year when he made his runway debut during the Fall-Winter ’15 season. It also helps that he is excellent at the Instagram and selfie game. We talk to the new face of Moncler, Tom Ford and Philipp Plein about social media, crazy fans, music and being on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

L’OFFICIEL Singapore: What’s the story behind your name?
Smith: Because I’m the only boy (in the family), I know my parents feel they’re lucky to have a boy, so they named me Lucky. I think they just liked the name.

What was it like growing up in the Smith household?
Fun. Lots of music, lots of personalities, lots of opinions, and lots of creative people just doing their stuff.

Your mother was a former model. Did you always want to be in the modelling business?
No, I had no clue what I was getting myself into. Just kidding! I never had an interest until I booked a couple of jobs, and I thought, “This is fun.”

Instagram played a large part in your rise to fame. How important is it to the fashion industry?
It’s been getting a lot more important lately. I go on castings and they all would want to know my Instagram name. They have it on the signing sheets; they want to know how many followers you have. If they can’t choose between two models, sometimes they’ll go on their Instagram accounts and see who has more followers – they’ll choose that guy.

Is there a photographer that you’re dying to work with?
Honestly, working with anyone in the industry is a pleasure. I mean, Mario Testino would be cool, Steven Meisel would be sick to work with. Really, I don’t have anyone, because there are some really amazing photographers, like Annie Leibovitz and Steven Klein… the list goes on.

What goes through your head when you’re on the runway?
It’s really weird. There are 50 cameras in there all flashing at the same time and it’s really bright and you’re trying not to close your eyes. Believe it or not, I don’t think about walking on the runway. Instead, I think about homework, food… girls.

Let’s talk about fans. You’re quite open to giving hugs and accepting kisses. Where do you draw the line?
I draw the line… where do I draw the line, actually? I have to figure that out. I mean, sometimes they ask me ridiculous stuff, and then it’s like, “No”.

Any crazy fan encounters?
Yes! Girls have tried to stick their hands down my pants and I was like “No, no, no, you can’t do that!” But other than that, there hasn’t been anything major.

You were on Ellen earlier this year. What was that like?
It was so fun! That was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done. She’s so nice. I never really get nervous but the first 30 seconds of being on the show with her was nerve-racking.

What was your reaction when you first heard you were going to be on the show?
I thought it was a joke. I was like, “Don’t lie”, and then I saw my agent videoing me, and she said, “Oh, you’re going to be on Ellen.” I just didn’t believe it. It was so shocking as not many models and kids who are under 16 get a chance to be on her show.

You’re in a band with your sisters. Tell us more about that.
We’re called The Atomics. We’re kind of like The Black Keys and Landau Remix – cool, surf-type vibes. I’ve been playing the drums since I was six. My dad is a big influence on me as a musician because he’s the one who taught us everything we know about music.

Do you guys do shows?
We’re finishing an album first. We just released a single called “Too Late”.

You’re home-schooled. Would it be college or full-time modelling?
I think education is really important and if the opportunity presents itself to go to college and I’m able to do that when I’m not so busy, then I’m going to do it, for sure. Education is really important to me.

You’re originally from Utah, but you live in Los Angeles now. Do you see yourself moving back?
It’s the Southern California life, for sure. The weather, the people, the beach. The food’s okay, it’s not that much different from Utah. I just like the whole vibe and the energy and the laidback atmosphere. Utah is a great place, but I can never live there again.