Will Smithand Jada Pinket Smith’s son Jaden Smith had landed an impressive job at a designer fashion label… but the news has sparked a massive nepo babydebate.
French luxury brand Christian Louboutin named Jaden as its new Men’s Creative Director last week, revealing the star will ‘oversee the creation of four collections annually,’ with his first set to premiere at Paris Fashion Weekin January.
But the announcement was met with fierce criticism from some social media users, who claimed Jaden, 27, only got the opportunity because of his famous family.
‘Imagine having 15 plus years of experience in fashion design, and then Jaden Smith takes your job…’ one fashion designer scathed on TikTok afterwards.
His video went viral, gaining more than 5.4 million views, and it launched a fierce argument about nepotism in the comment section.
‘Nepotism in fashion is killing creativity and actual creatives, I HATE IT,’ one user replied.
‘Nepotism is our societal downfall,’ agreed someone else.
Another person added,’That’s unfair and messed up.’
Will Smith and Jada Pinket Smith’s son Jaden Smith (seen last year) had landed an impressive job at a massive fashion company… but the news has sparked a massive nepo baby debate
Christian Louboutin named Jaden (seen with his dad in 2016) as its new Men’s Creative Director last week, revealing he will ‘oversee the creation of four collections annually’
‘Unfortunately the industry is full of nepo babies,’ read a fourth comment.
A fifth said, ‘The amount people here defending a nepo baby, whose only qualification has ever been being Will Smiths son, is insane to me.
‘Performing good at your job and being the best only matters to poor people, however, a nepo baby will get that job over you any day, no matter how good you are.’
‘This industry is already one of the toughest to break into, and instead of opening doors for real talent, it feels like 90 percent of opportunities go straight to celebrity kids or famous names,’ a different person wrote.
‘Moves like this are beyond disrespectful to the people who dedicate their lives to the craft.’
Others, however, defended Jaden and brought up his past experience in the fashion industry.
‘I’m not saying nepotism isn’t a problem, but people who benefit from nepotism can also be talented,’ one said.
‘Jaden Smith arguably influenced all modern day streetwear. Bro was on that back in 2017 and got called corny,’ pointed out someone else.
But the announcement was met with fierce criticism from some social media users, who claimed Jaden, 27, only got the opportunity because of his famous family. He’s seen last year
The actor and musician has been making waves in the fashion industry for years by wearing bold and dramatic looks on the red carpet. He’s seen in February
‘He has a decade of experience in fashion, been a creative director, LV Ambassador, and has met with Christian personally multiple times and he believes in him so what exactly are you mad at?’ asked a different person.
‘Sure Nepotism is bad but I’m not even a Jaden fan and even I know he has been active in fashion and managed brands before,’ wrote another defender.
‘He definitely has the qualifications. It’s not like they picked a random talentless person.’
Jaden started his career off by acting, landing his first role at age eight in the 2006 film The Pursuit of Happyness, playing the son of his dad’s character.
In the years that followed, he starred in The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Karate Kid, After Earth, Netflix’s The Get Down, and Life in a Year, amongst others.
He’s also dabbled in music, releasing three albums over the years and opening up for a slew of big artists on tour including Fall Out Boy, Post Malone, Tyler, the Creator, Justin Bieber, and Kid Cudi.
The actor and musician has been making waves in the fashion industry for years by wearing bold and dramatic looks on the red carpet.
He launched a successful streetwear brand with his sister, Willow Smith, called MSFTSrep in 2012.
Jaden started his career off by acting, landing his first role at age eight in the 2006 film The Pursuit of Happyness, playing the son of his dad’s character
Jaden (seen at various fashion events earlier this year) launched a successful streetwear brand with his sister, Willow Smith, called MSFTSrep in 2012
He also made headlines for posing in a womenswear campaign for Louis Vuitton in a skirt in 2016.
‘Merging my vision with Christian’s comes quite naturally because we see the world in a very similar way,’ Jaden, who will be moving to Paris, said in a statement following the news that he was joining Christian Louboutin.
‘There’s a shared respect for creative freedom, and I think that’s why it works. I want to continue the story, honoring the past while shaping the future through my own perspective.
‘It isn’t just a title – it’s a creative home. Christian has given me a place to explore, to learn, and to create freely. His legacy is built on hard work and joy, and I want to carry that forward.’
