Jaden Smith has been setting the fashion world on fire with his gender-defying style and looks for years now. The emerging designer channeled all those moments into his current clothing line -- MSFTSrep, which he co-founded with his sister, Willow, and two friends. Of course, Smith's creations were influenced by multiple sources, from science to history. However, the actor-musician also found inspiration in an unexpected place – his famous father, Will Smith. Well, not his father exactly but his breakthrough role from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The Entergalactic cast member revealed just how a "super embarrassing" scene from the '90s sitcom helped inspire his latest collection of fits.
Hearing that the 24-year-old's dad served as fashion inspiration for him is surprising, given that the younger Smith clowned the elder Smith’s Fresh Prince fashion at one point. But then again, Jaden is known for out-of-the-box thinking when it comes to clothes, and that style has attracted retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue. His latest collection, “Trippy Summer,” focuses on 1960s counterculture and features psychedelic colors and odes to nature. One piece – the sunflower hat – is part of that motif, as he wanted consumers to become one with nature:
I wanted to make people into plants and turn people into flowers. Because being one with nature is like reaching the highest level of consciousness.
The sunflower hat holds a deeper meaning for the multifaceted entertainer, though. Jaden Smith admitted to Footwear News the design came to him after he watched the Fresh Prince Season 3 finale, “Six Degrees of Graduation.” In the episode, his superstar dad dressed up as a sunflower for a kids’ musical program in order to pass high school and graduate. While the moment was funny and embarrassing, the Get Down alum explained why the scene inspired his latest collection:
It was super embarrassing for his character in the episode, but I thought it was an amazing idea of how to turn someone into a flower.
The episode in question is one of the funnier episodes from the classic show. The sight of Will Smith towering over a group of young children while dressed as a plant is nothing short of hilarious. The pure “over-it” on the elder Smith’s face made the scene but, during the performance, Smith leaned right into it. All in all, one might call it one of the most memorable moments from the show's six-season run.
Surprisingly, Jaden Smith didn’t look toward the character’s iconic shoe game as an influence. Just recently, Will Smith revealed that he begged Michael Jordan to let him wear a pair of exclusive Air Jordans on the show. The shoes became so synonymous with his character that they’re referred to them as The Fresh Princes. Aside from Will, Hilary Banks was known for her fashion moments (as her wedding dress alone deserves a moment). I'm not sure if Jaden will look to any other fits from the sitcom, but he surely has a lot to pull from if he chooses to do so.
You can check out all the outrageous fashion moments by watching every season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air using an HBO Max subscription. Once you're done, look over CinemaBlend's 2023 TV schedule to learn about the new and returning shows that are premiering.
