Nara Smith and Lucky Blue Smith on Living Authentically in Viral Moments
Jan 17, 2025
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Nara Smith, an influential TikTok chef, and Lucky Blue Smith, a well-known model, share their journey to fame as a couple navigating social media's scrutiny. They discuss the challenges of authenticity in a viral world and how they cultivate a true self amidst the noise. Lucky reflects on the self-consciousness that can accompany fame, while Nara emphasizes the importance of being real to connect with their audience. They also touch on the unseen labor of content creation and maintaining mental health in their public personas.
Lucky and Nara Smith highlight the importance of authenticity in content creation as a way to resonate genuinely with their audience.
The couple discusses the challenges and opportunities of navigating fame while balancing their personal lives and responsibilities as new parents.
Deep dives
The Rise of Lucky and Nara Smith
Lucky Blue Smith and Nara Smith have gained significant attention in the fashion world and social media, transforming from relatively unknown individuals to viral sensations. Lucky’s modeling career began at a young age, stemming from his sister's initial success, which he didn’t fully appreciate until later in life. Nara, on the other hand, gradually embraced social media, documenting her culinary journey that evolved after confronting her autoimmune disease. Their individual paths converged when they met on Instagram, evolving into a strong partnership that has captured the hearts of millions online.
Authenticity in the Face of Scrutiny
Navigating the world of social media and influencer culture can be overwhelming, especially with the constant scrutiny and differing opinions of viewers. Both Lucky and Nara emphasize the importance of authenticity in their content creation, believing that genuine expressions resonate with their audience. Despite the fame and the propagation of conspiracy theories regarding their public persona, they remain focused on living their truth and inspiring others through their real-life experiences. This commitment to authenticity allows them to rise above negativity and maintain a positive outlook.
Balancing Fame and Personal Life
The rapid increase in followers and attention can be a double-edged sword, impacting personal life, especially for new parents like Lucky and Nara. They illustrate how their viral moments, although thrilling, also bring both opportunities and challenges, such as a lack of privacy in everyday situations. This newfound fame requires diligent management of their time and mental health, as they juggle parenting while producing content. They express a desire to use their platform not just for fame, but to inspire others, acknowledging the potential impact they can have on their audience.
In today’s fashion landscape, many of us find ourselves caught in an infinite scroll of influencers. But in 2024, one couple captured the internet’s attention like no other: Lucky Blue Smith and Nara Smith.
From making cereal from scratch to becoming one of fashion’s most sought-after duos, their rise has sparked both praise and criticism. For millions of people following online, their content offers a glimpse of domestic bliss and authenticity; for others, it raises eyebrows, stoking wild conspiracy theories. As a result, the young couple has found themselves in the glare of the social media spotlight.
And as the Smiths revealed at BoF VOICES 2024, they’ve come to learn that not everyone will understand who they really are.
“It’s the internet. You can’t believe everything you hear and see,” Lucky says. “People really see through all the fakeness. And if you're really authentic, then that's really compelling to a lot of people,” adds Nara.
Key Insights:
Lucky Blue Smith rose to fame at an extraordinarily young age. At 16, he became the male model of the moment with covers of major magazines and appearances on runways around the world. Reflecting on the challenges of early fame, he shares, “When you go through a big viral moment and you’re all over social media, you can kind of become, in a way, self-conscious … But meeting [Nara], it was like I felt like I could be my true self for the first time in a while in front of someone.” For Lucky, learning to navigate online scrutiny has been crucial. “It’s the internet. You can’t believe everything you hear and see … You just have to try to focus on the positive and move forward.”
Nara Smith underscores the importance of authenticity in connecting with her audience. “As long as you’re authentic to yourself and you’re living your best life and not being fake, that’s kind of how you can get to a point where you might be a really successful influencer,” she says. “People really see through all the fakeness.” As an influencer, she said she credits honesty and transparency as key to her success in the creator economy.
Despite the perfect-looking presentation in her videos, Nara Smith shares the often unseen effort and dedication required to succeed in the creator economy, challenging assumptions that content creation is easy or low-effort. “What you’re seeing on the screen is a minute and 30 seconds. But I’m in my kitchen seven hours a day cooking and then putting my kids to bed and then editing for another two hours. And that’s every single day. I don’t take days off,” she reveals.
Reflecting on the evolving nature of personal growth and success, Lucky Blue Smith believes that living your best life is an ever-evolving journey. "I don’t think you’re ever going to land somewhere and say, ‘Yes, this is my best life.’ You always want to level up and move forward and challenge yourself,” he shares. His perspective highlights the importance of continuous growth and self-improvement, even amidst the pressures of fame and notoriety.