Why A Chess-Like Castle Was Worn On The Red Carpet At 2025 Grammys

Were you shocked to see a prominent rapper and actor wearing a castle as his headpiece on the red carpet at the 2025 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday? Was this avant-garde headpiece inspired by the rook in the game of chess? Here’s what you need to know:

• Who Wore The Castle Headpiece At The Grammys?
• Was Smith’s Headpiece A House Or A Castle?
• Significance of Vampire Castle And The Red Carpet
• Was Smith’s Headpiece Positively Received?
• Was The Headpiece Inspired By The Game Of Chess?
• Does Will Smith Play Chess?
• What Does Jaden Smith Know About Chess?
• How The Castle Headpiece Relates To Jaden Smith’s Personality
• Was Smith The First To Wear The Vampire Castle?
• Do You Want Your Own Castle Headpiece?

Who Wore The Castle Headpiece At The Grammys?

The castle headpiece was worn by Jaden Smith, a 26-year-old American rapper and actor who is known for his eccentric looks and is the son of two prominent parents. His father Will Smith is a celebrated American actor, rapper, and film producer. His mother is Jada Pinkett-Smith, an American actress, singer, talk show host, and businesswoman.

Although Jaden Smith had been nominated for a Grammy Award in 2022, he attended the music awards show on February 2 with his sister Willow to support their dad who was one of the presenters. Grammy Awards recognize outstanding achievements in the music industry and are one of the major annual American entertainment awards with the Academy Awards (for films), Emmy Awards (for television), and Tony Awards (for theater).

Was Smith’s Headpiece A House Or A Castle?

Although People magazine wrote that Jaden Smith had donned “a large house-shaped hat,” chess players immediately recognized the funky, all-black headpiece as a rook or castle. It was designed by Dora Abodi of Abodi Transylvania who gave the name of “Vampire Castle” to this avant-garde headpiece of wearable art. It clearly dominated Smith’s appearance and overshadowed the simple, slim-cut Louis Vuitton tuxedo that he was wearing.

Significance of Vampire Castle And The Red Carpet

On its Instagram account, Abodi explained the significance of Smith’s sculptural headpiece this way: “We custom made the castle for his red carpet appearance at the Grammy Awards. The artistic combines the mysterious elegance of Adobi Transylvania with a bold, modern design inspired by Transylvanian history and the vampire legends of the Bathori.”

On its website, Abodi says that its brand “channels the mystique of Transylvania” and is “inspired by the region's legends, folklore and mythology.” Its designs reflect a “dark connection to vampire folklore” as they blend “history with the fantastic.” On an Instagram page, Abodi added, “The whole process of creating the headpiece was a fantastic experience, from sketching to testing and realization.” The area, informally known as the red carpet where Smith wore the headpiece, is where celebrities arrive before the ceremony, and it's a prominent area for fashion designers to gain exposure.

Was Smith’s Headpiece Positively Received?

The Robb Report acknowledged that “Jaden Smith is king of the castle after breaking the internet with his Grammys look.” Its headline continued with the castle theme: “Jaden Smith Wore a Giant Black Castle on His Head at the Grammys.”

However, not all comments were favorable. Newsweek labeled Smith’s appearance as “bizarre” and said that he “raised eyebrows online.” Even Chess.com mocked Smith by adding a sarcastic caption to a photo on Instagram and describing his appearance as being “right after he castled.”

Perhaps Chess.com considered Smith’s headpiece inferior compared to its dancing rook costume which debuted at its annual meeting last fall.

For a more complete depiction of the dancing rook, watch the following video:

Was The Headpiece Inspired By The Game Of Chess?

Not likely, although we may wish that it was—if only we could connect our favorite game to Transylvanian history and vampire legends. But can we connect the Smith family to chess?

Does Will Smith Play Chess?

Jaden Smith’s dad does play chess and learned the game from his own father. He even trained with legendary GM Maurice Ashley, who describes how the two played on a Valentine’s Day in the following video:

In the next video, Will Smith describes being taught by Ashley for three days as well as how chess has helped to train his mind to get what he wants.

What Does Jaden Smith Know About Chess?

Although Will Smith is passionate about chess, little is known about his son’s interest in the game. When Jaden Smith walked the red carpet at the music award show with the Vampire Castle, nothing indicates that he was influenced by any love for the game; his personality was the primary factor.

How The Castle Headpiece Relates To Jaden Smith’s Personality

When Smith was growing up, his fame and his family's celebrity status prevented him from having a normal childhood. To Numero magazine, Smith commented about the Gothic phase of his life during this time: “I was only wearing black, and I was hiding from the sun because I was a vampire. I was a vampire, for real. Now I’m not a vampire; I’m out of this phase.”

Was Smith The First To Wear The Vampire Castle?

Actually, Smith was not the first to don the Vampire Castle. Czech model and actress Eva Herzigova wore the headpiece for a Numero magazine story in March 2024. Even earlier, actor Willem Dafoe had the hat on when he posed for his 2023 GQ Italia Man of the Year shoot.

Do You Want Your Own Castle Headpiece?

If you want your own fortress headpiece to wear to an over-the-board tournament, it can be made to your measurements. It retails for €4,500 (or about $4,630), according to Abodi’s website. (Shipping is calculated at checkout.) For a related topic, see “Wear Your Passion For Chess.”

What do you think? Are you ready to be a walking replica of a chess piece?