Meet the Mormon sibling models who are taking on the Hadids

Julie Tong


Move aside Gigi and Bella Hadid — Lucky Blue and Pyper America Smith are about to steal your fashion spotlight. Known for their ice cold, piercing blue eyes and platinum blond hair, the Smiths are models, Mormons, and musicians who star together in Express‘s new denim campaign.

At just 20 and 21, respectively, Lucky and Pyper already possess an impressive resumé that spans much more than just fashion. Lucky boasts over 3 million Instagram followers and has been in campaigns for Tom Ford and Calvin Klein. He’s walked runways across the globe for Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Balmain, Moschino, Jeremy Scott, and more.

Pyper America and Lucky Blue Smith for Express. (Photo: Courtesy of Express)
Pyper America and Lucky Blue Smith for Express. (Photo: Courtesy of Express)

Pyper signed with IMG Models in 2017 and has booked jobs for Moncler, Tiffany & Co., and H&M, and walked runways for Giorgio Armani and Moschino. When Pyper is not modeling, she plays bass in her band with Lucky and their two other siblings, Daisy Clementine and Starlie in the Atomics. With the help of Simon Cowell, the band has already booked major gigs, including Coachella.

As for Lucky, aside from traveling the globe and being photographed by Annie Leibovitz, he is a father too. He welcomed his first child, Gravity Blue Smith, in 2017 with his 27-year-old girlfriend and former Miss Teen USA, Stormi Bree. Lucky shares how fatherhood is going with Yahoo Lifestyle, “It’s honestly really rewarding. You’re taking care of another version of you. It’s so fun to watch her learn new things and she grows so fast. It’s crazy. To me there really isn’t a hard part.”

Pyper America Smith wears grey skinny Express Jeans with black tank and heel sandals. (Photo: courtesy of Express)
Pyper America Smith wears gray skinny Express jeans with a black tank and heel sandals. (Photo: Courtesy of Express)

Lucky and Pyper come from a tight-knit Mormon family, originally from Spanish Fork, Utah. It is thanks to their older sister, Daisy, that Pyper and Blue had their big modeling breaks. “Daisy first got scouted and signed. We were living in Utah at that time, and NEXT, our agency in L.A. was like, “You should come out here Daisy, to meet the agency and all the other agents.” So they turned it into a family vacation. My family and my parents were like, “OK, you can meet Lucky as well. I’ll just bring everyone so you can meet them,” Lucky tells V.

Starlie and Daisy have both modeled in the past, but their careers have not skyrocketed to the same level as Lucky and Pyper’s (yet). It’s worth noting that the week after Lucky signed with NEXT, at just 16-years-old, Hedi Slimane (currently creative director at Céline, formerly Saint Laurent) requested to shoot him for Vogue Hommes Japan. The rest is history.

Pyper America and Lucky Blue Smith strike a pose for Express. (Photo: courtesy of Express)
Pyper America and Lucky Blue Smith strike a pose for Express. (Photo: Courtesy of Express)

Moving to Los Angeles from their close-knit community in Utah wasn’t easy. “Coming to L.A. and modeling was a complete shock. I never imagined I’d be a part of this industry or what that ever meant. Spanish Fork and Los Angeles are opposite in a lot of ways. I love the yin and yang it’s created inside me,” says Pyper to Yahoo Lifestyle.

But her faith has made Pyper stronger in many ways. “Growing up in the [Mormon] Church and community in Utah has built me up into this person who can [deal with a place like] L.A., which is so busy and crazy,” she says to Marie Claire UK. ‘If I need time to reflect, I have this huge part of me that I just hold on to. It’s kind of like my rock.’

Pyper America and Lucky Blue Smith are model siblings and star in the new Express denim campaign. (Photo: courtesy of Express)
Pyper America and Lucky Blue Smith are sibling models and star in the new Express denim campaign. (Photo: Courtesy of Express)

Fortunately for Pyper and Blue, it helps to work together on projects like Express to feel connected to their roots. “I really love being on set with my family. … It’s so easy and comforting to work with my brother,” Pyper tells Yahoo Lifestyle.” Blue adds, “Our family is very close and we’re fortunate that we get to work together so often. I was excited to work with Pyper on the Express denim campaign because I knew we would have a lot of fun doing it together.”

Blue and Pyper model in Express’s new “You + Express Jeans. It’s a Fit” campaign that highlights the brand’s new “denim perfect” collection that features soft, stretchy fabric that helps lift, shape, smooth, and slim the body. The new denim styles are available now on express.com, starting at just $69.90.

Lucky Blue Smith looks casual and cool in all blue denim for Express. (Photo: courtesy of Express)
Lucky Blue Smith looks casual and cool in all blue denim for Express. (Photo: Courtesy of Express)

Aside from modeling and playing in a band together, both Pyper and Blue have their sights set on bigger things: acting and film. “I want to continue to do cool projects with awesome designers and stylists and still collaborate with people in this industry. I’d also love to be in movies. My main goal is to get an Oscar, so that’s [going to] happen,” says Blue. Pyper adds, “In the next 20 years, I hope to be writing and directing and performing in TV and film. That world really inspires me. I have a lot to do.”

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