Willow and Jaden Smith Talk Fashion, Music and How Their Dad Has Inspired Them

Will Smith's son and daughter open up about what informs their art

Photo: Olivia Malone

Jaden and Willow Smith tend to have a lot to say, but they still managed to reveal some new tidbits about themselves recently when talking about fashion, music and their dad – Will Smith.

Here are three new things we learned about Will and Jada Pinkett Smith‘s son and daughter:

1. Jaden looks to superheros for inspiration
Whether he’s dressing himself or designing clothes, superheros give him fashion cues, he says in the March 14 issue of Billboard.

“Fabrics definitely inspire me, and superhero comic book characters inspire my clothes,” says Jaden, who has his own men’s line, MSFTSrep.

“That’s why I like to wear long drapey things, because I want to look like Batman and Robin,” he says. “I want to hit the polarities of life, show people that there’s a duality; there’s two sides to everything.”

The 16-year-old donned an all-white Batman costume when he attended Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s May 24 wedding – which mother of the bride Kris Jenner called “genius.” (He even wore an Iron Man costume on a date with Kim’s younger sister, Kylie, in 2013.)

2. Einstein helps Jaden get dressed in the morning
On the days he doesn’t feel like wearing a cape and a mask, there’s always his “Einstein uniform.”

“Einstein didn’t really like to change clothes because he had too much other stuff to worry about, and I’m the same,” Jaden says. “All black is pretty much my go-to look. If somebody is just wearing something for the blogs, that’s really sad because they’re not living for themselves, versus someone wearing a kimono who’s having an awesome time. I really look to see, do you care more about what other people think, or are you having fun?”

3. Willow could survive on a mountaintop

Willow, 14, who considers herself a “high-fashion nomad,” says, “I could literally climb a mountain and survive a couple nights in nature.”

“That’s a requirement for my clothes because one day I was on the freeway and I saw a mountain, so I literally just pulled over and climbed it. If you’re an artist, the way you dress also gives people a vibe of how your music is and your personality.”

Besides waxing poetic about their unique style choices, Willow and Jaden have also been working hard at their art and making new music. Willow, who exploded onto the music scene with her hit single, “Whip My Hair” – at age 10 – just released a three-song EP on Soundcloud called Interdimentional Tesserect. In October, she released her first EP, called 3.

Jaden is also keeping busy in the music department – he released a three-song EP called This Is the Album in early February, three months after he dropped Cool Tape Vol. 2.

Jaden says the music his famous father made back in the day, such as his 1997, Grammy Award-winning single, “Getting Jiggy Wit It,” inspires him. “I love his songs,” he says. “I go back and re-listen to those songs and the newer songs he’s made in the studio too.”

His dad has even inspired him behind the wheel of a car. Jaden, who just got his learner’s permit says, “My dad is awesome. I wouldn’t be where I am right now if it wasn’t for all of the things he’s taught me. He’s taught me a lot about driving and just about life.”