Jaden Smith models for Louis Vuitton womenswear

Jaden Smith was born into fame to acting parents Jada Pinkett-Smith and Fresh Prince Will Smith. But he is not shy of the spotlight himself, having starred in his first film at the tender age of 6 – you may remember him as Will Smith’s adorable son in The Pursuit of Happyness. Or perhaps you know him from his infamous twitter account where he often shares cryptic messages with his followers (“How can mirrors be real if our eyes aren’t real”). It is a testament to Jaden’s dedication to expressing himself freely. This also shows in his latest project as Jaden stars in Louis Vuitton’s new ad campaign for their women’s spring/summer 2016 collection.

Jaden rocks a skirt in photos for the campaign but this isn’t the first time the teenage celeb has found himself in what is traditionally female clothing. Jaden can often be spotted wearing skirts and dresses in his daily life and even opted to wear a dress to his prom. In the past year, he has regularly posted about wearing dresses and shopping at the women’s section in Topshop, stating he was shopping for girl clothes. He also speaks openly in favour of gender neutrality and apparently has the full support of his parents.

https://youtu.be/vmcAWiAwWUE

And Smith isn’t the only male celebrity who has been sporting flowy outfits this past year. Fashion-minded rapper Kanye West wore a knee long leather number from the Givenchy men’s collection, and actor and musician Jared Leto has worn skirts to several red carpet events. Justin Bieber has been sporting the same oversized t-shirts that have been lining many men’s sections in high street shops (practically dresses, one could argue). Though some form of flowy dress on a man is unusual in the western world, we see this type of dress being accepted in many other cultures around the world. So perhaps 2016 will be the year that the male population embraces the breezy goodness that is the skirt.

Sally Wijers
Photo: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton