Jaden Smith’s powerhouse brand MSFTSrep is impacting in ways beyond measure, reflecting just how youth activism has pushed to the forefront of fashion, political and social discussion. Forge your own path and break boundaries using your mind as a tool through which to think, to inform, to dream, to connect with someone else’s reality, drawing from the past, reimaging the present and building a new future.

The label’s FW22 collection entitled Mystery School, traces its origins back to the sacred teachings of ancient Egypt, hidden from the masses, aiming to illuminate the mind. History, philosophy, maths, and science have informed the artfully curated unisex line which includes tailoring, hoodies, trousers, T-shirts, denim, skirts, bags and more, with all-over graphic prints.

We spoke with the 24-year-old designer and activist about the streetwear-infused and ethically made label that he co-founded alongside sister Willow, Moises Arias and his brother, Mateo aka Téo, in 2015. Imagine Smith as your teacher, seeking to cultivate inclusion and unity by rebelling against the status quo, and evolving the consciousness of humanity with positive insightful information, making the world a better place to live - one eco-friendly puffer jacket at a time.

Shirt & tie **MSFTSrep**, pants **Acne Studios**, shoes **Louis Vuitton**

Who does the brand represent?

Well, you know, we just want to put positive information into people’s spheres, because so much of mainstream stuff is just putting junk into people’s heads all the time, undirected information that’s not really moving them or the rest of the world in a positive direction. We should all be moving towards a collective goal of making the world better and it’s hard to find a place in life, and easy to feel alone, and to feel like a misfit, where you don’t fit in anywhere. That’s who the brand is for, those people who have been overstimulated by the nonsense and are looking for some kernel of something to believe in that’s real, true, and moving them in the direction that is better for the world.

The label draws on philosophical theories, history and science books, technology, spirituality, and education. What inspired this positive path and the trajectory that you’re on? You’re wise beyond your years!

Thank you, that means the world! I really think what inspired it is being a student of the world and realising that there’s so much information out there, so much history that you can look at from the perspective of thousands of different people and hear all their stories. To see different sides of history, and the history of physics, and mathematics and art too. There’s so much to learn in this world that we live in, and I just feel like so much of the mainstream is just trying to pull us in one direction, when there’s a whole world of possibilities out there. There are other things we could be learning about, talking about, representing. People in history have made insane technological impacts, and in art and architecture and philosophy too, you know, things that can’t be forgotten. Science and technology and art and mathematics are the most insane tools of creating and manifesting things in the world, and I think that if we learn to use all those tools correctly, we can transform the world into a much more harmonised, beautiful, interconnected place.

I want to represent that type of world and future in my clothes, and the brand is for those types of people who feel the same and want to represent that in their clothes too. There needs to be a movement that really represents the future of the preservation of information, specifically for the youth and thinks about the capability of the human mind and spirit.

Full look **MSFTSrep**, shoes **Louis Vuitton**

“There needs to be a movement that really represents the future of the preservation of information, specifically for the youth and thinks about the capability of the human mind and spirit.”

The latest Fall/Winter 22 collection is heavily inspired by the mystery schools of ancient Egypt, and your interest in their sacred teachings and hidden knowledge. How do you all as a collective bring your ideas to the table when you’re deciding on a theme for a new collection?

We start with what I like to call “The Lowest Hanging Fruit”, and as we get deeper and deeper into the conversations, things become more complicated, so we just start with the simplest things that we know people can understand and that are obvious. Like the pyramids, people know about them, they know about the scientific struggles surrounding the pyramids. Then the next one was cymatics, and how sound vibrations affect physical molecules, and how you can manipulate matter with sound frequency. People can understand sound frequency, like when they go to a concert, the bass moves their clothes, and they feel the vibrations in their bodies. So that’s how we pick our topics for the collections, it’s about what we’re learning, what we’re talking about, what’s always been in our heads.

Do you have any philosophers you often cite from in terms of inspiration too?

I can’t choose just one person, and that’s the thing about Mystery School, in that we’re learning about new people who inspire us every day, so let’s get out there and learn about as many philosophers as we can. I mean, I love mathematics, so I’m into Pythagoras, but someone might love someone else and it’s important to have all these different ideas in the pot.

The graphic prints in the collection range from pyramids and UFOs to symbolic scientific or mathematical equations too. How did you decide on the visual process?

I’ll sit down with the design team and start to create logos, then hoodies, then maybe skateboards. Basically, we start with one piece and then extrapolate that design over multiple pieces so we can make sets that go together that people can collect.

What are your favourite pieces from the collections, and do you love seeing people wearing and styling up your designs their own way?

I think maybe the Anti Federal Reserve puffer jacket is my favourite piece, and the UFO denim pants and the Jekyll Island hoodie. I love watching the way people customise the pieces and style it on their own and edit it all. Seeing people wear the clothes is amazing because I feel the messages are so important.

Your Sister Willow is one of the co-founders of the label. You have such a great sibling dynamic, have you always been so close and in-tune with one another?

Yes, Will and I have always been really close, she inspires me and she’s amazing.

If some of your peers came to you and asked for recommendations on authors or books to enlighten them, what would you tell them to be reading right now?

Well, we have a Mystery School platform on the website with educational videos about the science of consciousness, history, health, mathematics, technology, and there’s a list of books there so people can find out whatever they want. But one book I would suggest people reading right now, is Atomic Habits [by James Clear], because we fully start to realise that our personality and the type of life that we build, and the parts that we love or hate about it, are based off our habits. So, if we can become better at building specific habits for the type of person you want to be, then that’s a way of getting you to where you want to be. Building habits in your life means you don’t have to consciously think about doing those things, you just get used to doing them, it’s like being an architect for your life, to be good at the specific things you want to be good at. I think our MSFTSrep clothes can be triggers for people’s habits.

Shirt, hoodie, pants **MSFTSrep**, leather shorts **JW Anderson** & shoes **Louis Vuitton**

“I love watching the way people customise the pieces and style it on their own and edit it all. Seeing people wear the clothes is amazing because I feel the messages are so important.”

Where do you see the brand in terms of the future of sustainable and digital fashion? Such as metaverse-related AR/VR experiences?

I think that AR/VR is really cool, and I think MSFTSrep will eventually find a way to do it in our own way, because those things are so amazing. When it comes to sustainable fashion – besides trying to innovate with vegan materials and animal-based products and getting away from leather - I think that we’re rolling in a heavy direction with recycling collections. So, taking old clothes that already exist and reorganising them and then putting them back into the market. Now that we have our store here in Calabasas in Los Angeles, we’re going to make old/new collections, because I think it should be totally acceptable to release a new collection of completely old existing clothes from other brands and vintage stuff, reimagined clothes. It’s about pushing the needle forward in sustainable fashion, and that’s what MSFTSrep is here to do.

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Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Cameron McCool

Fashion by Jonathan Huguet

Casting by Imagemachine cs

Production by Sink or Swim Creative

Stylist’s assistant Rocksanne Ramirez

Groomers Christopher LeNeo & Pircilla Pae at A-Frame Agency

Production designer Rickey Ramirez

Art Team Thrift Shop Studios

Location Thrift Shop Studios