In the context of the tweedy, mannered vibe of Chanel’s Paris show, singer Willow Smith’s appearance on the Frow was a stylistic U-turn. She was a vision of futuristic nowness: pierced septum, robed cape, electric-blue Egyptian eyeliner and a catsuit that, if civilian space programmes did fashion lines, would work nicely in Nasa’s collection for next season. She basically looked like a badass superhero. The announcement that the 15-year-old daughter of Will Smith would be the new ambassador for the fashion house seemed like a cheeky, Largerfeld-like nod to the old maxim of “out with the old, in with the new, babes”.
It also made total sense. Like her brother Jaden, she has been nothing but fashion forward since she whipped her hair back and forth at the tender age of nine. Experimenting with pastel-pink and platinum hair colours and shades of eye shadows in aubergine, she has lived out a life under the spotlight like a refined aesthete. Instead of scandalising the web with her TMZ-ish exploits, she has done her teen metamorphosis thing with a subtle grace, expressing herself via her Instagram: a thing of beauty that, frankly, should be in the running to win the Turner prize.
Announcing her new role with the hard-not-to-love hashtag #BLACKGIRLMAGIC, her appointment has also highlighted the continued steps toward a more diverse fashion industry. It’s a small but significant move forward.
