Jaden Smith Challenging Patriarchy
January 15, 2016
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Jaden Smith made headlines on Jan. 4 when he was announced as the new face of Louis Vuitton’s latest womenswear line, “Series 4” a spring-summer 2016 collection. Social media praised and also ridiculed him for going against the social and gender norms of clothing and social expression.
Jonathan Marin, 12, believes that society should to stick to the traditional ways of gender expression: men wear men’s clothing and women wear women’s.
“I don’t think he should do that. They should keep women’s clothes for women models and men’s clothes for men models,” Marin said. “You’re not giving all the other women an opportunity to see how it looks on a woman, you’re giving them the opportunity to see how it looks like on a man. That’s not good for them.”
Today, a vast majority of society is able to accept the untraditional straying of tradition. This could be because of the law passed allowing same-sex marriage, and the coming out of Caitlyn Jenner, which voiced a community that needs support and acceptance. However, there are still those who are against Smith modeling a skirt.
Angelino Rodriguez, 11, knows that as a society we need to become more accepting towards others and their freedom.
“Once we see a guy wear girl clothes it’s a big OMG. I think as a society we need to slowly transform to the idea that our world and ideals have changed,” Rodriguez said. “We’re not as simple minded as we were 30 years ago.”
Smith is part of a generation that Nicolas Ghesquière, the artistic director of Louis Vuitton, said in a statement, “represents a generation that has assimilated the codes of true freedom, one that is free of manifestos and questions about gender.”
Brittany Trejo, 11, agrees with Ghesquière; Jaden Smith represents those going against the social norm.
“That’s accurate to the max. Ever since I came out as gay I feel like I’m finally free,” Trejo said. “I’m at the point where I am who I am, I dress the way I like to, and love who I want to. That shows I have freedom that no one can take away from me.”
In 2015 unisex fashion became a trend, women such as YouTube fashion vlogger Ari Fitz have modeled menswear, and now in 2016 men model womenswear. The fashion world is pushing social boundaries that are sure to continue in the future.
“I remember as a small child I would write stories to my dad,” Hernandez said. “Once he read them, he would compliment me on my storyline; he would really support me.”
Hernandez enjoys taking real life experiences and turning them into fictional stories.
This allows her to vent without disclosing the identities of the people around her.
Hernandez’s friend Samantha Melgoza enjoys showing her creative side through writing. Melgoza has been writing for four years and plans to pursue a career as a writer because she believes its way to stay in touch with her childhood while being seen as a professional.
“I like to write because it’s a way to show whatever imagination I have,” Melgoza said.
Michelle Vilarino, another friend of Hernandez, has been writing for five years as a hobby. She does not plan on perusing a career in writing but does plan to keep it as a hobby or a possible side job.
“It’s kind of a way to escape,” Michelle Vilarino said, “you can insert yourself in a story that would never happen.”
Hernandez only writes as a past time and does not plan to become a full time fiction writer in the future. She does however want to pursue a career in journalism.
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