Jackson as much a fashion as music icon

Amidst the stories surrounding Michael Jackson even after his death, it cannot be disputed that the iconic singer made a major contribution to fashion. As was reported in WWD, it takes a certain kind of star to turn a single sequined glove into a cultural symbol.

In the 80s and 90s Jackson became as much a trendsetter for fashion as he was for music. There’s the red leather motorcycle jacket he rocked in the “Beat It” video; the white ankle socks, black fedora and black loafers he wore when he moonwalked, the military-style jacket and aviator sunglasses he toured in during the “Thriller” era; the white V-neck T-shirt that he always eventually stripped down to onstage, and finally, there was that glove, first worn during a performance of “Billie Jean” during a television special in 1983.

More than two decades later, The King of Pop’s style still inspires the fashion set. For spring 2009, Balmain sent a Jackson-esque military jacket down the runway, and it was picked up by celebrities like Beyoncé Knowles and Rihanna. Jackson hits like “Thriller” and “PYT (Pretty Young Thing)” are soundtrack staples for runway shows even still.

The singer was also a shopper — a big one. During the Nineties, he reportedly spent an average of $35 million a year. In 2005 Jackson spent $150,000 at Harrods in 30 minutes. And in 2006, he went on an impromptu midnight shopping spree at Topshop’s Oxford Street flagship.

For his “This Is It” tour, set to start July 13, the pop icon had costumes created specially for him by Crystallized Swarovski Elements. Along with the sets, the ensembles would have featured more than 300,000 crystals in 43 sizes and 27 colors. As Nadja Swarovski, vice president of international communications for Swarovski, told WWD Wednesday: “As the King of Pop, it is only natural for him to be crowned in crystal.”

Image: MJ glove