Jaden Smith on His Trippy Summer ’22 Collection and the Power of Mushrooms – Complex

Jaden Smith says he likes when it rains.

Its a pretty fitting outlook for the MSFTSrep co-founder, whose brands ethos is: Today I Hope You Run In The Forest, Swim In The Depths Of The Ocean, Bask In The Sunset And Stare In The Stars.

The environment isat the forefront of the Trippy Summer 22 Collection, which features water-print tees,jackets and pants, rainbow knit vests, and more. I just want to help to change the world and the fashion industry when it comes to sustainability, he says, noting that although the clothes are playful and nod topsychedelics, theyre also an ode to nature and help speak to what the future of aplanet powered by mushrooms could look likeenvironmentally and spiritually.

When I sit down with him in Toronto ahead of the Trippy Summerpop-up at Holt Renfrew, (hes also in town as part of his run on Justin Biebers Justice World Tour) hes decked out some of the bold, bright, delightfully psychedelic pieces that call back to the hippie culture from the 60s. Hes sporting MSFTSreps blue and orange printedpuffer jacket over straight-legged jeans that are emblazoned with the brands rainbow star logo. Its a vibrant mix of hues that perfectly encapsulate the happy, kaleidoscopic mix of wavy patterns and aquatic printsbehind the latest collection, and as he points out, serve as a way to expand ones consciousness.

Reflecting on the 10 year anniversary of MSFTSrep, he shares how he feels fashion empowers people, his advice for young designers, and his vision for the future of the MSFTS community.

The interview, lightly edited for clarity, is below.

Obviously, the collection takes its inspiration from the 60s. And I mean, the counterculture from that time speaks to so many things, from music to civil rights. So what kind of really attracted you to that [era]?Learning more about psychedelics.Itsmostly inspired by [the time] towards the end of the 60s, kind of like if Woodstock was happening now, what would people be wearing there, you know what I mean?So, you know,this is just a small little section of that in a larger, broader vision, because Trippy Summer is something that happens every year. So really, the collection is all about expanding our consciousness, you know, and helping people to understand that they have access to other states of consciousness within them.

Keep an open mind and keep expanding.Yeah.

Were trying to create the conditions for someone to get inside ofTrippy Summer and togointo a mystical state and to really have an epiphany that changes their life, because ithas happened to me before. Andthats why I am doing this.

I was also going to touch on the fact that during the 60s, the environmental movement was really big during that time period. I know youve been a really big advocate for sustainability, sowhy is thattop of mind when it comes to something like this?I just want to help to change the world and the fashion industry when it comes to sustainability, and I want to use more products thatI want people to use more recycled plastic and Iwant people to use more vegan leather. I want people touse more recycled materials in general.I pray that one day thriftedclothing will be a part of every major collection in the world, to where were going back and werethrifting clothes, and were reusing theold clothes inour new collections to use something old to create something new. I think thats really important.

Thrifting is so big nowadays I feel like its just become such a cool thing in and of itself. So I feel like if other people start to get on it more, its going to keep going.Totally.

And then, so the clothes are also about empowering young people. Why do you think that fashion is such an important tool for being able to do that, for us to express ourselves?Because I feel like when you wear clothes, they can also help you to express who you are through those clothes and say, You know, Im this type of a person or Im that type of a person. Itsreally, really important. You know what I mean? Like, Hey, I feel like this about the world, I feel like that about the world. Those things are really important when it comes down to making clothes. And you know, when youre wearing clothes, it kind of can express so much about you,so we feel like we want to make sure that were expressing things on the behalf of our audience and the MSFTS, and that they can wear clothes andfeel like, Yeah, I feel seen whenI wear this or I can give away a part of myself when I wear this and show people who I really am or what I believe, you know, andpush the world forward in super small ways.

You know, my goal is to make shirts thatreally make people think, like reallymake people think. One of the things were [doing with] the clothes this year is the goal is to create the conditions for a spiritual epiphany.Andthat is what MSFTSrep is. So were trying to create the conditions for someone to get inside ofTrippy Summer and togointo a mystical state and to really have an epiphany that changes their life, because ithas happened to me before. Andthats why I am doing this.

Itskind of a trippy thing because it ties into the whole idea of shrooms and psychedelics. So was there a particular trip that you had that sort of shaped this? Or have there been several?Its been a series of trips that have really helped me to realize that I need to go out in the world and really push this movement and thatI need to bea psychedelic world leader. You know, thats how I feelIreally need to not just cross the bridge myself and seesomething amazing and not tell anybody. I really want to let people know that, hey, there [are]other things inside of us that can help us in so many different ways in talking about mental health. Psychedelic therapy is going to be something that is increasingly happening in the world, and well see what happens withlegislation all over the world in the coming yearsbecause things are really on a fast track to change and go into more of a psychedelic, mysticalfuture where we can really study these things.

I just feel like in general, mushroom power is something that we need to cultivate for the future of humanity. And not just with psychedelics.

Yeah, I was going to say, I mean, people said the same thing about weed and nowits legal here.Yep, yep. Thats what its all about.

Id also noticedthatsome of the photos that you shared of the collection, theyre all inlittle rainbow Polaroids. And Polaroid also is very retro, and kind of fits into the whole idea of this as well. So tell me a little bit about how that feeds into everything.Oh, we justlike those, and we have a really great partnership with Instax and we just love the company. And yeah, we do a lot of work together and we just love that aesthetic for Trippy Summer. And then we canjust be out in the field, actuallyon shrooms or something and take those photos and then use them and post them andsay, Yeah, this is real. This is a real thing.

Yeah, Imjust out here, you know, sounding the alarm for the other psychedelic leaders in the world for us toall come together to really make a change. I just want to say this too, here, that theres also science that shows that you can grow mushroomsinto the shape ofa table, or you can grow [them]into the shape ofpackaging to removethe need for Styrofoam. Themycelial networkgoes across the entire planet andtheres a mushroom that eats plastic, theres a mushroom that eatsoil from oil spills. Penicillin was invented from [fungi].Mushrooms are so smart. So I just feel like in general, mushroom power is something that we need to cultivate for the future of humanity. And not just with psychedelics.

If youre reading this article right now and youre a young designer and you want to work for MSFTSrep, reach out to us cause were always looking for other young people.

Yeah, theres mushroom leather, too.Yeah, mushroom leather, thats a huge thing for us that we already use in our upcoming collections. [There are] so many things withmushrooms.

Do you have any advice for any other young up-and-coming designers? I mean, you were so young when you started this.I would say, Yo, keep going.Even if you dont fully have your voice at the beginning, you can find it ifyoureally stick to it. Andmaybe you will have your voice in the beginning, but youll never know if you dont try. The number one thing is [to] go out there and try and make it happen, and if you really want to design and thats what you want to do, reach out to us. We love working with young designers. Welove working with new people. If youre reading this article right now andyoure a young designer and you want to work for MSFTSrep, reach out to us cause were always looking for other young people. And you know, thats what MSFTS is about. Its being that platform for the young designer to discover their voice and then go and stand out.

So MSFTS turns 10 this yearin the next 10 years, what do you hope to achieve with the community and with the brand?I hope to build schools everywhere across the world, and help kids [who] are going through mental health problems inside of schools and the way that schools are structured. Its draining on our mental health. I think the signs are very clear and it doesnt help us to become the best versions of ourselves all the time. But its not about just complaining about things that are not right, its about making them better.

So thatll be my biggest dream, to build schools and retreats where people can go, and take psychedelics and learn about themselves and eat vegan food andjust go to a full retreat, get massages, work out and make artwork, work and then go to therapy sessions, go to rehabilitation sessions, you know, make their body and everything better. Real big changes. Were making clothes right now, but thats not our end goal, to be selling clothes in 10 yearswe will be, but thats not going to be our main thing.

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Jaden Smith on His Trippy Summer '22 Collection and the Power of Mushrooms - Complex