Pyper America, Age 18, Takes Fashion Week

Pyper America Smith, the blue-eyed, platinum blonde sister of model Lucky Blue Smith, made a name for herself this fashion month by walking her first runway shows. At just 18, she’s already signed with NEXT Management and has shot campaigns for big brands like Calvin Klein and Moncler and graced the pages of magazines like Elle. At the end of the day though, she’s just a normal teenager who happens to have almost 500K followers on Instagram. Here, she opens up about her runway highlights, playing in her family’s band, and having a heartthrob for a brother.

Was this your first time walking the runway at fashion week? Yeah, it was. It was one of the most exciting things I’ve ever experienced.

How did you prepare for it? Did you practice? I think the most practice I got was during all the castings I went to in the weeks before. I had to walk in front of all the casting directors and I watched other girls walk.

What was the most nerve-wracking part? I don’t get too nervous, but I get the most adrenaline rush right before you go out on the runway. You just don’t want to trip.

What was the most exciting moment for you during fashion month? When I was told I was going to open for Phillipp Plein. It was amazing because the dress was so cool. And it was also cool because my brother, Lucky opened his last show, so it was kind of like I was following in his footsteps.

What’s it like working with your brother, Lucky? We have the most fun time at our jobs. It’s amazing that we get to go to some of the coolest places in the world together. I feel so lucky that I get to be with him. What I’ve learned from working with him is to be super cool and relaxed at shoots. He’s always super chill and happy-go-lucky.

Do your friends ever fawn over your brother? Oh my gosh, yeah. It happens all the time. I get if one of my friends has a crush on my brother. My brother is super cool. But what’s funny is when girls just try to be my friend to get to my brother. It’s like, just tell me if you want to get to my brother, and I’ll help you.

You play the bass in your family band called The Atomics, right? Originally, we were going to be called The Fins, which now I think is super cheesy. When I was eight, all my siblings and I got instruments for Christmas. Since then, we’ve been playing songs together. We played shows when we lived in Utah. My dad taught us all how to play. He taught us old-school surf covers like The Ventures and we learned enough of them to start playing shows. Once we moved to Los Angeles, we decided to take it more seriously and write more songs. We’re working on an album that’s going to come out this year or next.

What are you listening to right now? I love the last Tame Impala album. I’m also listening to this guy Honne and Mac Demarco. I like old stuff like Amy Winehouse and Maroon 5. I used to listen to Maroon 5 every day when I was in junior high school. And I like the soundtrack to the movie Lords of Dogtown.

What do you like to do in your free time?

When I’m with my brother, we make these funny videos of me impersonating a Beverly Hills mom and post them on Instagram under @Pyper.TV.

What’s the funniest comment or DM that you’ve ever received on Instagram? One time, someone just sent me a photo of a chicken nugget and they said something like, “I love chicken nuggets. I hope you do too. Please have a good day.” It was amazing. And I love chicken nuggets, so I could relate. It made my day better.

I saw on Instagram that you dyed your hair pink once? The pink hair was temporary for a photo shoot. It was just hair chalk that washes out, but I thought it was so much fun and would love to maybe color my hair one day. Just not right now.