Last year, when we interviewed Lucky Blue Smith at his first Penshoppe campaign shoot in Beverly Hills, we asked if we would get to see him in the Philippines. “I guess you’ll find out,” he said, grinning.
(READ: Getting lucky with Lucky Blue Smith)
Today, after flying for 14 hours, the 18-year-old model landed in Manila, his lanky, six-foot-two-and-a-half frame breezing through the airport in distressed Penshoppe jeans. Fans were waiting for Lucky at the airport and that shouldn’t be a surprise, since they’ve been asking him to come for a long time. “I first started noticing on my Instagram a bunch of girls from the Philippine commenting for me to come and visit.”
Penshoppe brand director Jeff Bascon said, “It’s a good feeling to have him here because we’ve been wanting Manila to meet Lucky and now it’s finally happening.”
A couple of hours later, he met members of the media at a press conference at Conrad Manila. Asked if he was exhausted, he said, “I’m actually doing great, I slept the whole flight.”
It is his first visit to the country.
Effortless
Lucky, who was scouted when he was 10 and who started modeling when he was 12, is in the country for a series of appearances for Penshoppe. The model joined the brand as one of its global ambassadors early this year. Other Penshoppe ambassadors include supermodels Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, and Sean O’Pry and Asian superstars Sandara Park and Mario Maurer.
(READ: Behind the scenes at Lucky Blue Smith’s Penshoppe shoot)
Asked which pieces from his newest Penshoppe campaign he liked the most, he said, “I like that white turtleneck a lot, it’s really comfy and it looks cool… These jeans are tight, not tight but cool.. They’re a good material and the perfect amount of skinniness. A lot of companies try to do crazy cool things because they’re trying to get an edge but I always think that classic and simple clothes are the best. Effortless. Penshoppe is just really good at that.”
He talked about working with the brand. “They’re the sweetest people, they’re the nicest… they’re probably the nicest people or one of the nicest people to work with. They’re really genuinely nice. They make it so easy. I’m really excited about future jobs I would do with them.”
Music is one of Lucky’s passions and he has been busy with The Atomics, the band he started with his genetically gifted sisters. Lucky, who received his first drum set for Christmas at the age of six, is the band’s drummer.
“We just finished these two songs and they’re really cool. Our music is very indie rock, reverb, surfish… I really like James Brown beats and grooves… We have a couple of shows coming up and then more writing and more recording.”
Lucky has forayed into film as well, shooting Love Everlasting with director Rob Diamond last year. “It’s a cool young love story about inner beauty. In the story, I fall in love with a girl.. I don’t know if I can say anything because I don’t want to give it away but it’s a really cool story.”
As for his other film dreams, he said, “I think it will be the coolest thing in the whole world is be in a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio. That’s what I want to do.”
Lucky Charms
Between interviews, Lucky enjoyed his first lunch in Manila: adobo and white rice that he ate with his dad. He doesn’t need to stick to any special diet, he said. “I was blessed with a really high and really fast metabolism.”
Outside the hotel function room, fans who had been waiting since 9 a.m. hung around, hoping to get a glimpse of Lucky. They’re just some of Lucky’s Lucky Charms, his legions of fans around the world. (And yes, they got lucky.)
Lucky, who has been called everything from “wunderkind” and “social media’s favorite model” to “the Justin Bieber and One Direction of male models” doesn’t just stand out for his good looks—he’s also a genuinely nice guy.
Jeff said, “Lucky is very open and accommodating with his fans and I have to give that to him. He values them. It’s very endearing, actually. Just today, I’ve seen how he’s been treating his fans. It’s really admirable.”
Lucky is known to hold spontaneous meet-ups with fans, announcing where he will be on social media so they can go see him. “I do try to talk to everyone… as many people as I can.”
And, because the fans are passionate about meeting him, things do get crazy sometimes. “They scream and want to hug you. But the craziest thing… One time I was in Milan after a fashion show and a fan tried to stick her hands in my pants without saying anything. She just went for it, dude. I grabbed her hand and took it out.”
When asked at the press con if he would ever date a Filipina fan, he said, “Of course. Here’s the thing, it doesn’t matter if you’re Filipino, American or Chinese… What I like in a girl is be yourself and just own your personality and that’s what will make me attracted to you. Your race doesn’t really matter.”
Meet and greet
Lucky, who has walked the runways of Balmain, Fendi, Jeremy Scott, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Bottega Veneta, Michael Kors, Moschino, Emporio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Roberto Cavalli, Salvatore Ferragamo, Tom Ford and Versace, is scheduled to walk the runway at a Penshoppe fashion show at the Conrad Manila on the evening of July 29. “It’s going to be a good show,” Jeff said. ”It’s been such a great experience bringing Lucky here. Finally, people will be able to see him in person.”
On July 30, lucky fans will get to spend time with Lucky at a meet and greet at Penshoppe’s SM Aura store. He is scheduled to leave the next day. “You guys are the best. Just all know that. I would like to say thank you for your support. I’m coming back soon, sorry this trip is super short. I love you guys and thank you,” he said, adding. “I have seen pictures of the beaches…they’re gorgeous… I need to go, right?”
Lucky’s visit is just one of the many surprises Penshoppe has in store for fans this year as the brand’s global expansion continues. “We’re about bringing the best of the Philippines to the world. We’ve been doing amazingly in the Middle East and the ASEAN region. We’re in Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam and soon, Myanmar. We recently opened our fifth store in Vietnam and wow, the lines were crazy. I felt so proud to be Filipino. To see a Filipino brand in Vietnam being well loved by the Vietnamese market is such an overwhelming feeling. It’s really great. We also opened Oxgyen, Memo, Regatta and ForMe in Vietnam. Penshoppe is also available online in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan. Let me put it this way: the momentum we’re at right now, we intend to maintain it or even bring it up way way up there.”
Can’t get enough of Lucky? Pick up a copy of Inquirer Super on August 5.