PARIS (AFP) - Willow Smith, the 15-year-old daughter of the American actor Will Smith, was named on Tuesday as an ambassador for French fashion house Chanel.

The actress and singer, who made her screen debut at seven in the 2007 film I Am Legend that starred her father, was in the front row in Paris on Tuesday to see Chanel's autumn-winter catwalk show with her mother, actress Jada Pinkett Smith.

She posed for the cameras in a black and silver mesh-effect Chanel catsuit before the show outside the Grand Palais in the French capital.

She is the luxury brand's youngest "trendsetter", following Hollywood star Johnny Depp's 16-year-old daughter Lily-Rose who was named a Chanel ambassador in July.

Chanel's designer Karl Lagerfeld said last year he had taken Violette d'Urso, the 15-year-old daughter of his former inspiration Ines de la Fressange, as his latest "muse".

After Tuesday's catwalk show the 82-year-old fashion legend reappeared to take his bow, holding the hand of his seven-year-old godson, Hudson Kroenig - son of the model Brad Kroenig - whose coat echoed the collection.

Chanel said Willow Smith had been wearing their clothes for "public appearances since 2013 and her first encounter with Karl Lagerfeld was in 2014 when he photographed her for the American magazine V". She recorded her first album at the age of 10 and supported singer Justin Bieber the following year on a part of his European tour.

Her brother, rapper and actor Jaden Smith, appeared in a skirt this year in a photoshoot to promote the Louis Vuitton spring-summer collection.

Paris Fashion Week has been more diverse than ever in terms of age and race of those on the catwalk, despite a row over rapper Kanye West's favourite designer Demna Gvasalia only casting white models for his two shows.