As the next generation of nepo babies comes of age, many are carving out spaces for themselves in fashion, film, and television.
Jaden Smith, one of the original celebrity kids from Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, has already explored music but is now making waves in the fashion world. Just last week, he was announced as the new Men’s Creative Director for French luxury brand Christian Louboutin. In this role, Jaden will oversee the creation of four collections each year, with his debut set to be unveiled during Paris Fashion Week in January.
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Jaden Smith Labeled a ‘Nepo’ Baby for New Fashion Role
“This is one of the biggest honors of my life, and I feel a lot of pressure to be able to live up to everything that Christian has done for the house and also step into such a serious role,” the Karate Kid star told WWD.
He added, “When he reached out to me, I was just blown away because of how similar we are and how much we like to do things in a similar manner. I can’t wait to show the world what we’ve been working on. I think that the universe of Christian Louboutin men’s has so much potential.”
In 2012, the 27-year-old and his sister Willow launched their own streetwear brand, MSFTSrep. Beyond that, he’s also served as a New Balance ambassador and has previously teamed up with the company on exclusive sneaker designs.
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Fans Defend Jaden Smith Over Nepotism Claims
However, many fans on social media weren’t exactly excited about the announcement. Instead, they voiced frustration over what they saw as clear nepotism in the industry, despite Smith’s background as an artist, singer, actor, and designer.
“NEPOTISM is the downfall of all creative industries,” said one fan on TikTok. “Nepotism at its finest—he wore a dollhouse on his head. That’s fashion?” said a second person. A third said, “Why are they giving celebrities jobs that people spent years in college studying for… Like idk, there are 100s of talented college students dying to be creative directors of fashion brands. But okay, give it to the rich kid.” Another person wrote, “This is why fashion is so dead lol. Everyone in the industry is a nepo baby, and people with real talent who deserve so much are being forgotten.”
Others defended him in the comments, saying, “I’m not the biggest Jaden Smith fan, but he has been involved in fashion and has had his own successful line for years now. These pics are fire; he has ideas that get people talking, and that’s what the brand is looking for. Give him a chance, guys.”
Another user wrote, “He’s changed so much in the fashion game for men. He 100% had the door opened/access to connections due to nepotism, but he’s not getting the job because he’s a talentless nepo baby. They saw something in him. Nobody owes his dad a favor, I stg," while someone else agreed and said, "He's been a fashion kid since mfts; I'm actually proud of him fr; he's been working for some time now."
