Willow Smith Aims To Empower As The Face Of Chanel

Willow Smith is a teen ambassador for Chanel, and the daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith takes the job very seriously. After Chanel boss Karl Lagerfeld’s most recent haute couture show in Paris, Willow Smith told the Telegraph that she’s on a mission to empower young girls.

“It’s not every day that a 15-year-old black girl with dreads gets elected to be the Chanel ambassador,” Willow told the Telegraph. “I know a lot of girls that look like me feel that they’re not beautiful and feel like they don’t have a place in the media or a place in the world.”

Smith added that if girls are confident and love themselves, then their perception will change.

“I want to show those girls that might not think they’re beautiful but they are.”

As part of her duties for the French fashion house, Willow Smith stars in ad campaigns and wears Chanel to high-profile events. Last week, Willow’s new Fall/Winter 2016/17 eyewear ads were released. But years before that, she showcased her empowering attitude with her breakout music video, “Whip My hair.” Willow Smith was just 10 years old when the song was released. As a pre-teen, Willow was also known for her unique way of dressing.

“I would throw on crazy things which just didn’t go together and my Mom would be like ‘are you sure you want to do that?! It’s your decision if you want to do that.’ At a young age, we were taught that it’s okay to dress however you want and express yourself,” Willow revealed.

In March, Lagerfeld first revealed that he planned to elevate Willow Smith to “ambassadress” status. Chanel released a statement about Willow’s appointment with the French fashion house, describing Will and Jada Smith’s daughter as a “trendsetter” who “has been wearing Chanel for public appearances since 2013.” According to the Telegraph, Lagerfeld met Willow when he photographed her for V magazine in 2014.

In an Instagram post, Willow Smith thanked Lagerfeld and the entire team at Chanel for expanding the perceptions of “beauty” by picking her to be the new Chanel ambassador.

“I am honored,” Willow wrote at the time.

Of course, Chanel is not the first time Willow Smith has been involved with a famous fashion empire. Last year, Marc Jacobs announced on Instagram that Willow would be part of his fall/winter campaign.

“Beauty, style, and talent know no age,” Jacobs captioned a shot of Smith. “It is those individuals whose creativity, unique vision, and voice inspire all of us here to create and express ourselves through our medium: fashion. Here today I would like to share (not CHER) with you first, the talented, stylish and charming Willow Smith.”

And according to Vogue, Willow’s talents aren’t limited to singing and wearing Chanel. Smith is also a part-time sock designer for Stance, another job she takes very seriously.

“Designing socks is very interesting because they are items of clothing that aren’t seen a lot,” Willow told Vogue. “For me, socks can emit energy through you—even if nobody sees them. They have a message on them that radiates through your entire being… at least for me they do.”

Willow Smith is not the only famous teen to become a Chanel ambassadress. Lily-Rose Depp, the 16-year-old daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, is also tied to the famous fashion house. Willow is also following in her brother Jaden’s footsteps in the fashion field. Jaden Smith was recently part of Louis Vuitton Spring 2016 campaign.

Take a look at the video below to see Willow Smith for Chanel.

[Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images]