Jaden Smith at Louboutin stirs fresh 'nepo-baby' debate

French fashion icon Christian Louboutin’s decision to name Will Smith’s son Jaden as his chief menswear designer is a bold choice that took the industry by surprise - and stirred up fresh allegations of “nepo-baby” favoritism.

- 

When not following in the footsteps of his famous father into acting and rap music, 27-year-old Smith has been a regular at fashion shows for years, as both a high-profile front-row guest or as a model.

His often eccentric dressing has frequently caught the eye, such as when he turned up to the Grammy Awards this year wearing a black Transylvanian castle on his head or when he carried his own freshly shorn dreadlocks into the Met Gala in 2017.

“I am convinced by his creativity, but I am also happy to have an intelligent voice from a different generation at my side,” Louboutin, 62, told Le Figaro newspaper on Thursday as he unveiled Smith.

Smith is set to move to Paris and be responsible for four men’s collections per year, including shoes, leather goods, and accessories for a brand which is famed for its red-soled stilettos. While women’s shoes continue to be the bulk of the Louboutin business, menswear accounts for around a quarter of sales, according to the company.