Is Nara Smith the domestic goddess of Gen Z? The 22-year-old model had her first child with husband Lucky Blue Smith at 18, and got 3 million TikTok followers – and backlash – for her ‘tradwife’ videos

May 22 , 2024

Nara Smith poses in a photo from April. Photo: @naraaziza/Instagram

Part of a model power couple – her husband is Lucky Blue Smith – Nara Smith is best known for her TikTok cooking videos, but she also got criticism for seeming to embrace conservative gender norms

The German-South African model – signed to IMG Models like Gigi Hadid – is also known for her, erm, unusual baby names – her 3 kids are named Rumble Honey, Slim Easy and Whimsy Lou

Nara Smith has become a TikTok sensation, captivating millions with her cooking videos that offer glimpses into her family life with her husband, model Lucky Blue Smith, and their children.

With over 3 million followers, the 22-year-old’s quaint lifestyle and her babies’ unique names have sparked both amusement and buzz online, stirring up discussions about modern femininity.

Smith’s rise to fame takes place amid the increasing popularity of the “tradwife” lifestyle – aka a return to traditional gender roles where a wife focuses on being a homemaker and mother over having her own career. Perhaps unexpectedly, the trend has gained particularly strong traction among Gen Zers.

Nara Smith poses in an all-black outfit in this January shot. Photo: @naraaziza/Instagram

Netizens have voiced a range of opinions about the movement, from those lamenting what appears to be a return to conservative, often misogynistic household roles, to women who aspire to being “tradwives” themselves, considering it an attractive alternative to a 9-to-5 grind at the office.

Foodie website Delish published an article titled “What happens to the stay-at-home girlfriend after a break-up?” quoting lifestyle influencer Bella Greenlee cautioning, “If you give a man the power to feed you, he also has the power to starve you.”

According to People, Smith initially planned to become a marine biologist, but her interests turned towards cooking and social media. She started posting TikTok videos documenting the elaborate home-made meals she’d whip up for her family in 2023. Since then, her TikTok profile has attracted over 3 million followers – and counting.

From making Cinnamon Toast Crunch for her kids to bagels and cream cheese for her fourth wedding anniversary – from scratch and while donning impeccable outfits, of course – she seems to be spending a lot of time in the kitchen. However, she explained in one of her videos that she enjoys taking care of people “by cooking for them”, adding, “This is not something that is expected of me or something that I have to do.”

Read on to for a deeper dive into Nara Smith’s seeming domestic goddess life.