Actor/musician Jaden Smith went viral by wearing a full-on castle on his head to The Grammy's
Smith, who fans may know as the son of Bad Boys actor Will Smith, attended the 2025 ceremony, joining the likes of music industry powerhouses like Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and Dr. Dre on the show's iconic red carpet walk.
While The Grammy Awards (and ceremonies like it) are known for their stunning, often custom-made fashion statements, some people take things a little further, thinking outside of the box with their outfits.
Sometimes, this can result in shock (like it did with Kanye West's wife, Bianca Cencori, at this year's awards, who showed up completely naked with nothing but a completely transparent piece of fabric on). And other times, like in the case of Smith, it can get people talking and be one of the fashion highlights of the night.
Why Did Jaden Smith Wear a Castle to the Grammys?
For those who may not have been watching, star Jaden Smith arrived at the 2025 Grammy Awards wearing a castle on his head, leading many to ask, "Why?"
Smith's red carpet look was a bit unorthodox compared to the typical suit and gown affair the Grammys is known for. While he was wearing a fairly normal black jacket and tie, atop his head was a massive castle (like the ones one might see in a franchise like Game of Thrones or Harry Potter).
This massive headpiece spanned out over his shoulders and climbed up above the top of his head several inches, creating what many have assumed to be a very top-heavy look. The castle itself was designed by Abodi, a luxury fashion house known for mixing their Transylvania heritage with modern sensibilities.
In a post on Instagram, the brand wrote about their custom castle piece for Smith, describing it as the combining of "the mysterious elegance of ABODI Transylvania with a bold, modern design:"
"Jaden Smith wore ABODI's iconic 'Vampire Castle' sculptural headpiece. We custom made the castle for his red carpet appearance at the Grammy Awards. The artistic combines the mysterious elegance of ABODI Transylvania with a bold, modern design inspired by Transylvanian history and the vampire legends of the Bathori."
The outfit was one of the highlights of the night from a fashion perspective, as Smith turned heads all the way down the red carpet with his architectural feat of a headpiece.
In another caption on Instagram, Abodi founder Dora Abodi wrote, "The now famous ABODI Transylvania Vampire Castle serves as a symbol of audacity, fortitude, and an embrace of folklore and legends:"
"The fields of fashion and music are intended for enjoyment and the pursuit of creativity, allowing individuals to express themselves freely and experience life and art to the fullest. The now famous ABODI Transylvania Vampire Castle serves as a symbol of audacity, fortitude, and an embrace of folklore and legends."
"[Fashion] functions as a medium to recall one’s childhood and to retain a sense of playfulness and borderless creativity," and that is what the brand claimed to have done with Smith's Grammy look:
"It functions as a medium to recall one’s childhood and to retain a sense of playfulness and borderless creativity in relation to shapes, fabrics, concepts, colours, textures, fashion, and art. Furthermore, it facilitates the establishment of creative partnerships and the cultivation of individuals who serve as sources of inspiration and motivation. ABODI, as an art and fashion forward project, has always represented more than a mere fashion brand; it is a designation that bears the family name, and a space where like-minded creatives can congregate."
Smith (who was once rumored to join the MCU as Miles Morales), has always had a love of the fantastic. This has especially been the case when it comes to gothic and vampiric influences.
Fans may remember the former Karate Kid actor wore a Dracula-inspired look to the 2017 Met Gala, sporting a Louis Vuitton-designed trench coat, trousers, and boots, hand-crafted to look like a modern vampire's attire.
Speaking with Numero in 2017 (translated from French), Smith described this affinity for the goth/vampire aesthetic. "For a period of my life, I was a goth," he admitted, adding that he was "a vampire, for real:"
"For a period of my life, I was a goth. I wore only black and hid from the sun because I was a vampire. I was a vampire, for real. I couldn’t expose myself to the sun and I only wore black trench coats. Now I’m not a vampire anymore, I’m out of that phase. I’m opening myself up to wearing more colorful things, going out in broad daylight. I share much more mixed energies."
Jaden Smith can last be heard on his 2024 EP 2024: A Case Study of the Long Term Effects of Young Love.
