If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that the Smith family gives good interviews. I have never read a feature with any member of the Smiths (that’s Will, Jada, Willow and Jaden – sorry Trey) that I didn’t want to read again immediately after. One of my all-time favourite Smith features is when Willow and Jaden were interviewed by Pharrell for Interview magazine. It was Peak Smith family weirdness. Jaden’s new feature in GQ may just be my new favourite.
Jaden is in GQ to talk about his style and, specifically, his new collection with G-Star. It opens with Jaden describing his style icons – Tyler, the Creator, Batman, the super hero, and Poseidon, the Greek god. The writer is so taken aback by the last influence that he needs to clarify:
Poseidon? Like, the Greek god of the sea?
"Yeah," he says. He's smirking a little bit, and for a second it feels like he's messing with me.
So how does he dress?
"Really good," Jaden says, enjoying my confusion. "A lot of drapes, you know what I'm saying?"
Never change, Jaden Smith. Never change. Jaden’s style choices have always been, um unique, and while listing the Greek god of the sea as a style icon may seem weird, GQ attests that Jaden is actually exactly on trend. Jaden is an ambassador for Louis Vuitton and a Grecian-inspired menswear look may be on Virgil Abloh’s next runway. Jaden also wears LV womenswear. He wore a skirt to prom. His style is androgynous and also good for picking up girls.
"It's really awesome when I go to the parties… I have a talking point with all the girls."
Jaden Smith’s style might be a punchline sometimes, like when he wears locks of his own hair as an accessory, but this point is important. He’s a cool, trend-setting straight dude who isn’t afraid to rock womenswear. He’s setting a great example that clothing can be genderless and all those antiquated rules and stereotypes we put on boys and girls because of what they wear are bullsh-t.
Jaden is also a great example of a celebrity using style to show their work. Jaden has stayed relevant and influential not just because of his famous family. He has done so somewhat through his music but mostly through his fashion.
One of my favourite Jaden style moments was when he wore a Batman suit to Kanye and Kim’s wedding. This is how he explains that choice:
"I felt as though I needed to protect everyone there and needed to have the proper gear to do so."
I love him so much. Jaden wore a Batman suit to prom in 2015. That same year, he wore a dress to prom with Amandla Stenberg. I think the latter choice was even more heroic.
Amandla recently came out as gay to Variety but Jaden’s still trying to shoot his shot (jokingly, I’m sure.) I laughed out loud at his comment on Amandla’s post yesterday:
Jaden Smith is a style influencer but he’s also hilarious. I’m back to pitching my Smith family sitcom called Kids Just Don’t Understand. Freeform, get on this!
Click here for more Jaden in GQ.
