Nara Smith has opened up about the backlash she received for promoting the “traditional wife” lifestyle.
The “tradwife” lifestyle, increasingly popular on social media, showcases women who wear 1950s-style clothing and prepare home-cooked meals while embracing traditional gender roles.
In a profile of Smith published in Harper’s Bazaar on Thursday, the 22-year-old fashion model and influencer told the magazine she “really struggled” to understand the concept of “being a traditional wife, whatever that may be.”
The Bloemfontein, South Africa-born, Germany-raised beauty said she is a “working mother” and that what she posts on social media “isn’t that deep” regardless of the controversy surrounding it.
Smith has been married to fellow model Lucky Blue Smith, 26, since February 2020, and the couple have three children together: three-year-old daughter Rumble Honey, two-year-old son Slim Easy, and four-month-old daughter Whimsy Lou Smith.
Nara Smith, 22, is opening up about the backlash she’s received for promoting the traditional wife lifestyle. The social media star’s breakout photo was taken in London in November 2022.
Smith is also stepmother to Gravity, a seven-year-old daughter from her husband’s previous relationship with model Stormi Brie.
The beauty, who is signed to IMG Models, told the outlet that she is still learning about herself and can’t put into words what she does and what values she tries to demonstrate.
“When people ask me[what I do]I don’t know how to answer that, because technically I create content,” said Smith, who has 9.3 million followers on TikTok and 4 million on Instagram, “but I’m just living my life and sharing it with people, which is what a lot of people do.”
Smith has quickly become famous for his videos of him creating things from scratch in what has become an ASMR-like quality for internet users, with fans even calling for him to appear on a reality TV show.
According to the profile, the video has generated some degree of controversy at times.
Some commenters have criticized her for embracing the traditional housewife trope and nostalgia for a time when women’s rights were less advanced.
“For my mental health, I can’t indulge in that. I can’t keep correcting people or read something and get annoyed,” Smith said of his critics.
Her husband, Lucky, defended her in the magazine, saying the online haters were motivated by jealousy.
The “tradwife” lifestyle, increasingly popular on social media, showcases women who embrace traditional gender roles while wearing 1950s-style clothing and preparing home-cooked meals.
Smith has been married to model Lucky Blue Smith, 26, since February 2020, and they have three children. Photographed in London in 2022
Smith said the piece captures the essence of his personality and he hopes viewers will find value in it.
Born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, and raised in Germany, this beauty incorporates elements of ASMR into her social media posts.
“Everybody sees her succeeding in everything she does,” Luckey said. “When people who don’t even know you are making videos online with things that aren’t true, it’s just out of jealousy. Call it what it is.”
Smith said he tries to express the essence of his personality in his work and hopes viewers will find value in it.
“For me, it’s all about putting out what I love and hopefully someone can relate to it and take something from it. That’s what I want to do,” Smith said. “My clothes aren’t always practical, but fashion isn’t always practical.”
“That’s what I do. I post videos of me cooking for my kids and my husband. Nothing too in-depth.”
In the article, Smith described herself as a “girly girl” and a “working mom” who spends her day in a very different way to someone who has a “normal nine-to-five job.”
She added: “You won’t see me get on a plane, fly to New York, model and come back, all while I’m holding a newborn baby, paying bills, shooting content and dressing my kids.”
“It’s so weird for me to be boxed in a certain way just because people think I work too hard.”
