In an unprecedented move for the label, Jaden Smith has been named as Louboutin’s first men’s creative director. The announcement comes 15 years after the launch of the menswear arm of the luxury footwear giant.
The appointment of the American rapper and actor will see him relocate to Paris, where he will present his first designs during men’s fashion week in January. Smith will oversee the creation of a total of four collections per year across all categories – footwear, leather goods and accessories – meanwhile developing campaigns, events and immersive experiences.
“This is the one of the biggest honours 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 stepping into such a serious role,” Smith said in a statement made to WWD. “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.”
Speaking about Smith, Christian Louboutin told WWD, “I found him very interesting, very kind, and very, very humble, and above all, very interesting: The way he is, the way he dresses, the way he thinks.”
With Smith at the menswear helm, Monsieur Louboutin will be able to focus more of his time and energy on his booming women’s business, while simultaneously supercharging the men’s category which accounts for 24 per cent of the company.
Smith said in a statement made to the press, “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. 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.”
Monsieur Louboutin first met Smith in 2019, and told WWD that each encounter with him thereafter reminded him of his younger self and brought to light their many shared interests. As a result, the renowned designer didn’t launch any kind of official search for a creative director but rather, settled on Smith organically. Louboutin told WWD, “He arrived before the idea of a creative director. It’s not because I needed the creative director, it’s because of him, in fact. And so it happened like that.”
In a statement made to the press he added, “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. I felt that with his creative direction our men’s collection would evolve in an exciting and dynamic way. He feels like the perfect addition to our creative team and I am truly looking forward to having fun working with him on our men’s collections.”
Watch this space.
Photography courtesy of Louboutin.
