At the Grammy’s, looking ridiculous gets you notice. Jaden Smith knew that

Jaden Smith at the Grammy’s. Photo: thehollywoodreporter/Instagram

Jaden Smith has worn many a strange outfit for his public appearances, but none more curious than this look with a head gear that looked like an art project in primary school. Mr Smith turned up at the recent Grammy Awards ceremony with his sister Willow, but it was he who caught the attention of the world media, more than Bianca Censori with a nude dress did (by now, her near nakedness is hardly news, and her outfit was so see-through, it would be indecent to share her photo here). Sitting above his shoulders was a sooty castle with pointed turrets and an opening that reveal his boyish face. What he had on his head: is there a term for it? Surely it was not just a hat? A panache sans feathers? Whatever it was, the head-protector-as-clunky-babooshka looked positively juvenile, which may, indeed, suit the 26-year-old. But, we wonder, as we write this, is it appropriate when so many have lost their homes in the recent Pacific Palisades, Eaton, and Hughes wildfires?

The wearable home of nobles in feudal times was the handiwork of fashion designer Dora Abodi (behind the label ABODI), who apparently billed Mr Smith US$4,652.77 (about S$6,323.86) for the creation. Although born in Budapest, Ms Abodi had chosen to make the headgear via the lens of Transylvanian castle architecture. This is not, of course, Mr Smith’s first time wearing historical buildings. In March 2023, at Paris Fashion Week, he—a face of Louis Vuitton—carried an LV bag that was shaped in the likeness of the house that the brand’s founder lived in. The hand-carry was said to be worth US$48,000 (about S$65,239). From grip to perch, they were no doubt expensive pieces of real estate. Jaden Smith’s current choice of headwear was, perhaps, to do with the nothingness of the Louis Vuitton tuxedo that he wore (an unsurprising choice since Black artistes would/must support Black designers). It’s the Grammy’s: you need a castle in the air.