Shocking news: Christian Louboutin has a new creative director. Jaden Smith will be moving to Paris to take over the men’s collection starting from now. There wasn’t any formal research, the choice was intuitive. “It would be great to work with him” was all it took for the House’s founder to pick up the phone and call Smith, a call that has now turned into the hottest topic in fashion.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen figures from the music world cross into fashion: Pharrell Williams took on Louis Vuitton, and, just a few months ago, A$AP Rocky released his first collection for Ray-Ban. The fashion system has seen this before, but still, the decision has already sparked discussion. Even though Jaden Smith is not a stranger to the fashion world, with his own brand MSFTSrep, co-founded with his sister Willow, and a long list of attention-grabbing looks, here’s the issue: Is this really about talent, or is it yet another case of the industry handing keys to a nepo baby?
It is undeniable that his surname has opened doors for him, but yet, after fifteen years of expanding into men’s collections, it was clear that Louboutin needed something new, a fresh approach, and Jaden seems to be the right fit for the job. “When I design shoes, I don’t think about a campaign at all,” Louboutin explained. “I think about the colours, the materials, but I don’t think about the narrative… [Jaden] is going to show the brand’s vision in a much more visible way.”
The choice makes sense: he’s a cultural icon for the Gen Z and knows the brand intimately. He grew up surrounded by the red soles in his family home, from his mother’s heels to his father’s shoes. That familiarity, paired up with his status, millions of followers and a long-lasting relationship with the designer, makes him a great marketing move: youth, visibility and a recognizable style, all wrapped in one.
Jaden Smith will present his first collection next January in Paris, and the expectations are high, will he be able to silence the critics and demonstrate that this is more than just inherited privilege? One thing is clear, though: everyone has their eyes on Louboutin at the moment.