Jaden Smith’s new role as men’s creative director for Maison Christian Louboutin has the Hollywood scion embracing the color red.
On Sept. 17, Louboutin announced that Smith, 27, had been hired to oversee the creation of four fashion collections per year, a major step in his career—but a bizarre new campaign has left fans more concerned than intrigued, sparking conversations online about whether his creative direction is reflecting his talent or raising red flags about his personal life.
The son of “Bad Boys” actor Will Smith, 57, and “Set It Off” actress Jada Pinkett Smith, 54, reportedly moved from California to Paris, France, for his new position.
“Merging my vision with Christian’s comes quite naturally because we see the world in a very similar way. There’s a shared respect for creative freedom, and I think that’s why it works,” Smith shared in a statement online.
The “Icon” rapper resumed, “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,” Smith concluded.
As part of the rollout for his new gig, Smith scrubbed his Instagram page except for red-themed images associated with Louboutin. He recently shared a mirror selfie that also that garnered a lot of attention.
Smith’s latest photo featured the shirtless “The Karate Kid” actor dressed in red pants with red, fingerless gloves and a metal chain around his neck. His face appears to be dyed with red paint.
As the pic of Smith spread across the internet, social media users weighed in on the Grammy Award-nominated recording artist adopting a crimson aesthetic over the last three weeks.
Many concerned fans wrote, “Wtf is wrong with u bro,” and “Bruh, you good?” in his comments. Others quickly went to blaming his parents, as one said, “He’s so lost. His parents failed him.”
A more sympathetic observer suggested that the distance from his parents might be taking a toll, saying, ‘Jaden needs his dad and mom, and it shows.’
On Facebook, one user wrote, “Maybe he listened to his father’s song ‘Parents just don’t understand,’ wonder if Daddy still agrees with his song now that his kid is proving the point.”
Another claimed, “He didn’t have a chance with either of his parents! He looks “out of it.”
However, someone pushed back against the online theories about the French luxury fashion brand by writing, “Although I think Jaden is so ridiculous, you’re grasping on this one. Louboutin is famous for the red bottoms. It’s just symbolism for the designer.”
Smith took his all-red-everything style to the Spring/Summer 2026 Christian Louboutin fashion show for Paris Fashion Week on Oct. 3. The California-raised entertainer rocked red shoulder pads and a red New Era baseball cap.
He kept the red pants/gloves combination and finalized the look with red paint covering his face up to his chin. He accessorized his ensemble with dark sunglasses.
While some observers expressed concern about Smith fully incorporating the color red into his fashion expression, designer Christian Louboutin, 62, praised the idea of working with him.
“When I first met Jaden, I saw in him a natural fit for the Maison, his world is rich and multidimensional, his style and cultural sensibility are inspiring, and his curiosity and openness are remarkable,” Louboutin said in September, calling him the “perfect addition to our creative team.”
Smith has a long history in the fashion industry. He infamously wore women’s clothing for a 2016 Louis Vuitton campaign. He also co-founded the MSFTSrep clothing line alongside his sister, Willow Smith, as well as actors Moises and Mateo Arias.
In addition to promoting menswear and womenswear, Smith has released three studio albums, including “CTV3: Cool Tape Vol. 3” in 2020. His filmography contains motion pictures such as 2006’s “The Pursuit of Happyness” and 2010’s “The Karate Kid.”
Even with Jaden’s success, many have expressed concern over how his parents’ lifestyle and choices might affect him, especially following recent reports. Dad Will recently admitted that he and Jada may have misstepped in how they approached parenting their children — a sentiment his wife had expressed years earlier.
The sweetest kids
— max (@MaxMax266) June 20, 2021
“We made a very, very, very terrible mistake with our children and we went with radical honesty,” Will explained on U.K.’s “Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden” radio show last summer. “Don’t do it. I’m not advocating for it.”
“We made a deal from like really young with our kids. The deal was if you tell the truth, you won’t get in trouble,” he continued. “The only way you can get in trouble in this house is if we find out you did something and you don’t tell the truth.”
A month later, shocking images of Jaden and a friend hanging out in a park in Paris in the wee hours of the morning sent fans into a frenzy. The two appeared to be smoking on a bench while listening to music on the street. That followed, a random sighting of Jaden dancing bizarrely on a street corner.
Before that, “The Pursuit of Happyness” star was involved in his own entanglement, like his mother, with two young ladies who have since moved on from him. One thing is for sure, the Smith family knows how to stay in the headlines.
