Jaden Smith on Christian Louboutin Men’s Fall/Winter 2026

Jaden Smith is in awe.

After walking behind a curtain, Jaden and I enter the space that will house an afterparty in celebration of his debut collection as the first-ever creative director of Christian Louboutin Men’s, the role he took on in September 2025. The crowd is here to witness what he’s been working on these past four months. But behind the curtain, in a quiet room, he plops down on a couch and stares at a projection of an old German film. It’s a small piece of Smith’s debut , but, in that moment, it struck a chord.

“Compound interest in anything is just insane,” says Smith. “I could have not done this. And then we wouldn’t be here watching a fucking red version of this German expressionist movie. Nobody’s seen it like this. You have to just follow your dreams because you might inspire somebody else that could do something that really changes the fucking world.”

The film wasn’t the only thing tinted red. The entire exhibition space held a red glow so bright, you could see it from the street. Photos of key products and phrases like “Boycott Outer Space. Bring Back Inner Space” hung from the ceiling on red canvas. Smith’s face is painted red and when he smiles, he reveals a bright red grill. There were boots covered in red fur, giant leather totes, and even flip flops. Of course, every footwear design sat on a red bottom, the iconic code of the 35-year-old French house that has become an oft-referenced status symbol.

“Red was my favorite color when I was a kid,” he tells Complex. “Fire is red and fire is the purest thing in the world. Everything in this world can be turned into ash besides fire. The sun is a big fiery ball and we’re alive because of the sun. Your first chakra is red, your sacral chakra, and that’s how you stay alive. The blood in your body that keeps you alive is red. It’s just a special color.”

But Smith didn’t simply splash red all over some shoes and bags and call it a day. He remixed classic luxury items like a black loafer or briefcase, bringing them into a more youthful arena. One of the main references he incorporated into his debut line was tactical gear, exhibited best through the TCT 1 loafers covered with a weatherproof nylon shroud, and a set of leather bags featuring storage pouches labeled with words like “Pencils” and “Coins.” “That’s the dress code we’re creating with this collection,” says Smith, “that tactical look.”

Complex spoke with Smith in Paris to learn more about this new era at Christian Louboutin.

It’s a huge honor to be a house’s first men’s creative director. Take me back to that initial moment.
It was deeply surprising, borderline unbelievable. But when I saw that it was serious, I was like, “Cool, so let’s be serious and let’s do it.” 

I’ve always wanted an opportunity like this and I look at it as an opportunity, not for just me, but for my whole community. As a young Black man, to get this opportunity is a really big deal and I want to do a really good job for the whole culture. This is a real serious opportunity.

What about your perspective are you introducing to Louboutin?
I feel like I’m mixing my African American Dadaist perspective with the heritage of a historical French maison. I’m very inspired by hip-hop. Creating an intersection between hip-hop culture and French heritage is where we begin to sketch from for each collection. I needed to bring an authentic version of me and my culture into this role.

Is your inspiration in the back of your mind while designing this collection?
Definitely. The next generation, all people in the world, their minds are open to things. If I affect any of them in the right way, then we all might reap the benefits of their scientific breakthroughs or what they can bring to the world. There were so many people whose lives were enough for me to be myself. And I would love to be that person for somebody.

Who are some of those people for you?
Bob Marley. Alexander McQueen. David Bowie. Prince. Michael Jackson. Basquiat.

When did you discover Christian Louboutin?
Being in my mom’s closet. I thought all shoes had red bottoms on them because all of hers did. When I realized all shoes didn’t have red bottoms on them, I realized a specific person who was a genius decided to make that their thing. That’s amazing.

Designing your own footwear, were you thinking about that? Some of these red bottoms might end up in your mom’s collection.
Absolutely. But since I’m designing for men, I tried to really think about the masculine perspective. 

Why did it feel like the right time for you to take on this role as creative director?
It’s always the right time. “Now” is always the time to go in because you don’t have any other time. Tomorrow is not promised. 

It’ll still be “now” in 10 years. When you decided not to do it a year ago, it was “now” then. It’s “now” now. So, “now” is the only time that there will ever be, and is the only time that I can use to make decisions. Everything else is an illusion of fears of the future or memories of the past. “Now” is always and forever.

What were you most proud of creating while going through this process?
Honestly, probably doing all of this stuff. Doing this interview and being here today has been the most rewarding part of it. This is the first time anyone’s ever got to see what we’re doing, so today was extremely rewarding. 

Do you worry about people not liking it?
You can’t always please everybody. That’s just a fact.That’s just a universal law. I don’t like everything that was ever made. So, I can’t even judge the people that don’t like certain things. Everybody has the right to like and not like what they do. The more that you can accept universal laws as truth…you don’t need to have an opinion on the sky being blue. That’s how it is going to be. And that’s the same way with people and their opinions. You’re right about it. I don’t necessarily have an opinion about it though. I just accept that as truth.

Pharrell is someone else who’s been able to do music and clothing at this level. Throughout this process, did you hit him up for any advice?
Me and Pharrell have known each other for a really, really long time. I went to his first [Louis Vuitton] show and it was really great. I think he’s an amazing artist, whether it comes to clothing or music or facial products or anything that he does. I think he’s a genius and I look up to him. 

Your experience at Paris up until now has been front row at the shows and seeing other people’s work. Your designs are the reason people are coming to this exhibition. How does it feel being on the other side of that equation?
This shit is not easy. It’s not for the faint of heart. You have to love it in order to do it.

Do you love it?
Yeah.

Is designing clothing the most fulfilling thing for you right now, creatively?
No. I think that I’m just a creative human. People make you feel like you have to choose. You don’t. I look at my artistic language as monolithic and singular. I don’t look at it as separate disciplines necessarily.

Everyone seems to be looking back at 2016 right now. What would 2016 Jaden say if he saw what you put together here today?
He would say, “Why are you not crying on a hill right now? I’m proud of you, though. That’s crazy that you made it off of that hill.”