Jaden Smith Is Catapulting Christian Louboutin into the Future

Defying expectations comes naturally to Jaden Smith. Though he’s the son of two major actors—we don’t need to name them; you already know—the 28-year-old isn’t chasing glory on the big screen. Sure, he did a couple films, but the bulk of his chameleonic creativity has been focused on music and, more recently, fashion.

In the fall of last year, Smith became the first men’s creative director of Christian Louboutin, a position designed especially for him by the maison’s eponymous founder. Smith’s role encompasses the label’s famous “red-bottom” footwear, leather goods, and men’s accessories—a total of four collections a year. Eventually it will extend into campaigns, events, and experiences.

We met him in Paris, just after he stopped by the flagship store in the Galerie Véro-Dodat. The day after, he posed for the photos you see here at the Palais Brongniart. And along the way, we talked about how he’s working to evolve Christian Louboutin for men, his creative ethos, his Los Angeles–based nonprofit that distributes vegan meals to the homeless, and much more.

ESQUIRE: The red sole exists in everyone’s imagination. Setting the myth aside . . .

JADEN SMITH: It changes the way you walk, even the way you get up in the morning. Maybe I haven’t slept much, I have jet lag, and then I put them on and things take a different turn. Christian and I call it “red-bottom behavior.” It isn’t an invention. It’s the theory of enclothed cognition: What you wear changes how you think about yourself and, therefore, how you act. It’s like putting on a superhero costume and feeling that you have powers.

ESQ: When did you realize that fashion could trigger reactions?

JS: Very early on. I saw the effect my way of dressing had on [my sister] Willow, and then I realized it moved other people too. I explored its limits. If I go this way, what happens? And that way? It was childlike curiosity, but people had decided I was part of fashion. I was simply experimenting. Today I create what I felt was missing.

ESQ: Monsieur Louboutin wasn’t looking for a creative director. Then he met you.

JS: There was always a lot of Christian Louboutin in our house. We met almost ten years ago in L. A. I went to see him because I was a fan. I was with my best friend, Moises Arias, who happened to be wearing his shoes. Today, one of Moises’s photographs from the Fête de la Musique has become our Calf Moises print, and we all work together. Years later, Christian had an idea—and when someone of his caliber has an idea, you know it will be big and crazy. I was incredibly nervous and excited. I saw him in London and we clicked immediately. It was clear: It was going to happen.

ESQ: Everyone expected sneakers, but you chose loafers as the focus of your first collection.

JS: I enjoy surprising expectations. I think of the maison’s man as a starter kit. What is the first product you want to buy? For me, it was the Trapman TCT 2 boots [a Christian Louboutin silhouette reinterpreted by Smith in the Avant-Première capsule that preceded his debut], and then came the loafers. They are sophisticated, elevated, and cool. Put on a hoodie and baggy jeans, add the loafers, and you take everything to another level.

ESQ: You visited the Italian workshops with Christian Louboutin. What is the difference between an expensive object and a luxury one?

JS: I discovered how many generations of a family can work on a single detail—lives devoted to perfecting a technique. Some pieces pass through several processes and areas of expertise, receiving craftsmanship and love at every stage. Luxury is about objects created to the highest standard by skilled hands but also about the ability to share a way of life with a community, inviting people to become part of it and broadening access. It has to do with happiness, peace, and the freedom to be whoever you want to be.

ESQ: Monsieur Louboutin can be theatrical, extravagant, and playful. How far are you willing to push things?

JS: As far as possible. The messages may be historical or complex, but I want people to come to our after-parties, feel safe, and have fun. I want playfulness in the campaigns, the videos, and what we leave for the community.

ESQ: So it’s about building things.

JS: How real the cumulative effect of hard work is. Sometimes you’ll get angry, things won’t always go your way, and not everyone will love you. But you have to lay one perfect brick every day.

ESQ: Millions of people listen to you. How do you turn that attention into impact, and where are you focusing your energy today?

JS: The way we think shapes the reality we live in. Together we must imagine the world we want to build; art and creativity help us give it form. Today I’m focused on the I Love You Food Truck, Skid Row, and the homeless people of Los Angeles. Social media is an incredible tool; when you capture people’s attention, you can direct it toward what you believe in. We can’t change everything alone, but together we can. When you devote yourself to something that almost no one is paying attention to, the people who care about it as much as you do will find you. Work together and it becomes a wave.

ESQ: What would you say to eight-year-old Jaden, one second before the first take of The Pursuit of Happyness?

JS: The difficult things in your life will build the structures in your mind necessary to achieve whatever you dream of creating.

ESQ: You’ve got swag, that’s clear. Putting aside diplomacy: Does Christian Louboutin have swag?

JS: Christian has swag at a level that, in my opinion, even he doesn’t fully understand. He’s on another planet. He possessed it years before I did anything in fashion. Knowing that he wanted to work with me left me speechless; I still feel that way every day.

Styling: Nik Piras
Hair: Maeva Rosan
Makeup: Anthéa Pillu
Production: Sabrina Bearzotti