From the outside, Jaden Smith seems to have it all. He is after all Hollywood royalty, being the son of movie and television stars, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. He is also a talented young man in his own right, who has been able to parlay his famous last name into a successful acting career.

But he too can feel the pains of being an “outsider,” as he reveals in a new interview with Variety that he has “always looked at life differently”.

“I always knew no one was going to understand me — since before I could talk — and that’s why I was so quiet. I was very calm, very to myself. I could tell I felt about life differently than other kids; I could tell by the way they treated me.” Jaden said.

But it is this unique sense of self that seems to have fueled his creativity and has allowed him to build a fashion sense that truly stands out. Jaden Smith is particularly notable for breaking the norm and wearing traditionally “female” clothing like skirts on the red carpet, which as he points out is not a new thing.

He has been wearing dresses (referring to them as simply clothes instead of gendering them) for a decade, and it is only recently that the press has paid attention. “People just start caring when they have a reason to start caring,” Jaden explains.

He then went on to cite his fashion inspirations, which is an eclectic mix of fictional villains, a Greek god, and an artist!

.@officialjaden Smith's style icons? Andy Warhol, the Joker, Poseidon and Spike from 'Buffy' https://t.co/JInHWaOUKm pic.twitter.com/gUNPfQNlLb

— Variety (@Variety) August 17, 2016

Jaden Smith seems to want to share this unique sense with others via his MSFTSrep website which is part scrapbook, part fashion magazine and part clothing online store of his own collection. “It’s pronounced ‘misfits” he says of the name. I took the ‘I’ out of ‘misfits’ because we’re a team and there is no ‘I’ in team. It’s a place for the lost kids and everyone to go, and something for them to have.”

He then points that it is for “the girl that wants to be a tomboy or the boy that wants to wear a skirt, and people try to condemn. We’re here for you. Tell us your stories. If someone at your school’s trying to pick on you, it doesn’t matter because Jaden Smith’s got your back.”

He attributes this strong sense of self to his parents, who have always been supportive and taught him an important lesson. “My parents told me that the world was harsh and that we had to be strong within ourselves.” Jaden says.

Now that is great parenting!