Prada Launches Their Latest Collection With Willow Smith Busking
Cool Or Co-Opting? Prada’s Latest Fashion Launch Used Willow Smith To Be Culturally Adjacent To The Busking Community
Source: Pacific Press / Getty
Morning commuters in London at Tottenham Court Road tube station got a surprise Willow Smith performance. The youngest daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith was spotted busking in the station, strumming her guitar and singing while wearing a neon pink puffer jumpsuit and black shoes.
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What sparked this surprise performance that drew a crowd? Well, it was the Prada Linea Rossa Fall/Winter 2019 launch. The brand explained the launch via Instagram stating it happened on “London’s own ‘Linea rossa’ – the Central Line on the London Underground.” They also added, “This moment was a celebration of the transient nature of our real life experiences, the performance of the everyday.”
The musician was gave a surprise performance and busked (sans tips) at the Tottenham Court Road tube station in London, England.
Naturally, the pink puffer jacket and pants were by Prada.
She also sported some Prada ski shades in one of the images.
Busking is not only a way for performers to get their music and art out, but also to make money. I have no qualms with the high end brand using this creative manner to launch their latest line; however, could they have supported more artists? What would this have looked like if they had created a band for Willow, using musicians who actually busk in the London tube? That would have been a phenomenal platform for them.
Personally, I always have to give a slight side eye when a high end brand uses an activity or borrows from a culture that lacks socio-economic resources to further promote their brands and sales. Busking is not something rich people do (and it’s highly doubtful you would see a musician doing this in a subway or tube station wearing Prada). If the brand was going to borrow from the musical culture, they could have shined lights on musicians doing this as well, using Willow Smith’s platform (and their own) to help amplify it.
If you’re going to be culture adjacent, benefit the culture.
Beauties, what do you think? Were you feeling the performance? Would you have liked for the brand to uplift additional musicians to really shine light on the busking community? Talk to us in the comment section.
Cool Or Co-Opting? Prada’s Latest Fashion Launch Used Willow Smith To Be Culturally Adjacent To The Busking Community was originally published on ionehellobeautiful.staging.go.ione.nyc