Mistakes Were Made

Jaden Smith and Christian Louboutin

I’m on a plane to Kansas City right now, but I’ll make time for Jaden Smith. Last week Jaden Smith was named the creative director of Christian Louboutin. The announcement has garnered mixed emotions from the fashion world. Some people think bringing in a young voice will freshen up the brand, while others are skeptical (to say the least) on what a nepo baby can bring to a brand that’s already earned it's stripes in the luxury circuit. No matter how you slice it, one way or another Jaden is unproven.

In the air of fashion today, we’re seeing interdisciplinary creatives take on creative director rolls like it’s nobody's business. Most notable, of course, is Pharrell Williams — a multi-Grammy winner, designer, brand owner, and fashion icon in his own right. Pharrell has a lengthy resume that expands from last century, accolades that many people can only dream of. To put it nicely, Jaden Smith simply does not have that.  I’ll be honest, I never liked Jaden Smith, but I’ll try my hardest to be objective in my critique of his new found position. 

I wouldn't make the argument that you need Pharrell’s resume to take the role of creative director. I think there are plenty of talented people who haven’t been a titan in the music industry who can run a fashion house. All it takes is vision and I suppose some level of popularity. Part of the issue with Jaden is that he has nothing to offer? He isn't one of those powerhouse names that'll rally people around everything he does. Wow, it sounds like I’m hating but hear me out. In recent years, we’ve seen artists like A$AP Rocky, Tyler, the Creator, and Lil Yachty venture into fashion, collaborating on numerous projects with clothing brands and offering a glimpse into their creative vision.

Rocky alone just released another collection for AWGE at Paris fashion week. On top of that he has a history with Hood By Air, Jeremy Scott, Under Armour and Puma. Not to mention the collab with Moncler x AWGE that was announced today. Tyler owns Golf Wang and Golf le Fleur and has a Louis Vuitton collab! To be clear, I’m not suggesting Rocky or the others I mentioned should take this role instead of Jaden — they merit greater opportunities. My point is that Jaden shouldn’t have been considered in the first place, as he’s contributed... nothing.

A profound thought from Jaden

Oh wait, he collaborated with Levi’s on a boneless campaign in 2021 where he showcased his shallow understanding of concepts in design and general philosophy. So there’s that… as a reader I completely understand how I’m coming off as a hater. However, my issue with Jaden isn’t that he isn’t accomplished in the creative world, that’s fine. My issue is that when he creates he’s almost always ripping off other artists.

In 2017 Jaden dropped his breakout album SYRE; a 17 track album complete with transparent sonic influences from Kid Cudi, Kanye West, Travis Scott and others. Everyone raved about this album upon release but I never saw the vision. Largely because his vision was his version of music other artists already created. I have no tolerance for artists who copy other artists so flagrantly. They aren't creatives, they're vibe scavengers. I don't see what's so appealing about hearing the diluted version of your favorite musician, that shit is beyond comprehension for me. Two years later he dropped wait for it... ERYS the same word spelled backwards because of course. That's beside the point, my fear is Jaden will simply activate his janky clone machine and copy another designer and call his own.

In his time in the spotlight Jaden Smith has failed to show an inch of artistic maturation. His pseudo-intellectual tendencies have become a meme; everything he makes feels melodramatic, quarter-baked, or borrowed. In what world does he deserve to be considered for the role of creative director at Louboutin? We ought not reward mediocrity, especially when born out of theft. The discourse around his nepo baby status isn't one I'm interested in engaging with. Jaden Smith hasn't even broken the seal to meaningful art or ideas. WHY IS HE THE CREATIVE DIRECTOR FOR CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN? On some level I'm happy for him I guess, but there are FIT graduate students that deserve this role more than Jaden, and I'm not being cute. Whatever, I'll look out for his first collection.