Jaden Smith + Louboutin…
Nepotism or Luxury's Next Evolution?
Red soles, Gen Z soul.
Partnership or privilege? You decide. / gliss•studio / @syresmith / @christianlouboutin
I don’t think I’ve heard the words “nepo baby” this many times in 24 hours. While news cycles sprint, context and critical thinking lag behind.
While accusations of nepotism and questions about qualifications dominate the conversation, there's a deeper narrative worth exploring about the collaboration. The news has many dragging the iconic red-bottomed shoe brand (and Jaden, but what's new there?).
The Intersection of Heritage and Innovation: Understanding the Louboutin-Jaden Smith Partnership
Louboutin himself brings a fascinating background to this equation. As a métisse designer with a white mother and Egyptian father—a heritage he discovered later in life—he built his reputation by creating designs that challenged conventional femininity.
His aesthetic has always been daring, sharp, and expressive, embodying the philosophy that beauty is danger. The partnership with Jaden for menswear serves a strategic purpose: freeing Louboutin's imagination to focus on women's wear while bringing in fresh perspective.
Louboutin specifically noted Smith's exceptional upbringing: "He's very, very, very, very, very well brought-up... That's a rare quality, and one that counts for me." The designer envisions Jaden contributing "through campaigns and photographs, through his unique way of looking at the worlds that interest him."
Smith brings his own complementary dimensions to the table. Gen Z - now driving 40% of luxury spend - craves experimental, gender-fluid icons, and Smith embodies that shift.
As a Black American creative with gender-fluid expression and experimental style, he represents Gen Z sensibilities and contemporary relevance. His fashion credibility isn't completely unestablished—he's been a Louis Vuitton favorite since 2016 and co-founded his own luggage brand with Selfridges executive Sebastien Manes.
Jaden himself frames the collaboration through an artistic and cultural lens: "As an African-American designer, coming into a heritage fashion house and bringing my kind of Duchampian, more Dadaist fashion perspective into it—I'm just really excited to get started and to create something really special."
This partnership ultimately represents intersectionality in action. Smith's sensibilities and heritage provide an international, avant-garde outlook that aligns with Louboutin's ethos.
While neither Jaden nor Christian are technically trained designers in the traditional sense, they share an artistic vision.
Would Smith have these opportunities without his family background and positioning? Unlikely.
Yet he has consistently demonstrated cultural relevance and an ability to apply distinctive aesthetic sensibilities to his projects.
Though some find his approach cringe-worthy, his talent for capturing attention and creating distinctive visual identities makes him a compelling, if controversial, creative partner for a brand looking to evolve.
The last stage of evolution of a brand often coincides with its story. If the story stays stagnant, so does the brand.
Ready for the next layer?