The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson 9781608871513, 1608871517

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By MICHAEL B USH

AE Hae his music, dance, and fashion,

Michael Jackson created a mystique that was unique to him and recognized as such throughout the world. F or five decades he

mesmerized audiences—and for twenty-five of those years Michael Bush was there as Jackson's designer, stylist. and friend, accompanying the King of Pop on his journey to becoming the

King of Style. Michael Bush and his partner, Dennis Tompkins.

joined Jackson during the making of Bad. and the duo quickly beeame central in developing the

looks that made him a style sensation. As their professional relationship developed. so did their friendship. Bush was there before and after every performance, and his personal stories reveal the man behind the public persona. Before there was

“Billie Jean.” there was the child star of the Jackson Five, setting rhinestones in his show-clothes by

hand. Jackson grew up to become a master of fusing fashion and performance, inspiring his collaborators with intriguing riddles and unrelenting confidence. While paying homage to the original Billie Jean.

Beat It. and Thriller looks that put Jackson on the fashion map, The King of Style also traces their

evolution over several decades. Jackson's penchant for the military silhouette is explored in detail. along with the trade seerets behind the sequined

glove and the fencing uniform that he, Bush, and Tompkins reinvented to make stage magic. It was Michael Bush who dressed Jackson for the final time. before he was buried. Dozens of garments were left unfinished by his shocking death.

The legacy of Michael Jackson lives on. An artist : i a

like none other, he transformed everything he _

touched—from the fabric of his clothes to his

legions of fans around the world.

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THE KING OF

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FOREWORD

JOHN

BUSH

BY

BRANCA

INSIGHT “QS EDITIONS San Rafael, California

FOREWORD

xi

By John Branca INTRODUCTION

1

The Sum ofaMan Is More Than His Measurements CHAPTERONE 5 Thrilling a Style, Styling a Thriller CHAPTER [Two 29 The Michael Mystique CHAPTER THREE 51 The Message in Michael’s Magic

CHAPTER FouR 69 Chasing the Magic CHAPTERFIVE

85

CloakingaKing

CHAPTER SIX

109

Master of Ceremony CHAPTER SEVEN

131

The Next CHAPTER EIGHT

153

Limitless CHAPTER NINE

175

Unfinished AFTERWORD

193

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

200

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FOREWORD Nw

() ne of the most indelible impressions I have from my time working with Michael

Jackson is the abounding creative energy he brought to every moment of his life. Michael never stopped recording melodies and beats, jotting down potential lyrics, and writing notes and plans for foundations, theme parks, stores, and every other manner of business venture imaginable. He was also a prolific sketch artist, creating mini-masterpieces on paper,

napkins, pillowcases, or anything that was in front of him. This limitless well of creativity is what fueled the most successful career in pop music history.

It would probably not come as: much of a surprise, then, that it was quite a challenge for Michael to find artists and musicians who could rise to the challenge of collaborating and work-

ing with him to make his innovative visions a reality. Dennis Tompkins and Michael Bush are two such artists. Their unparalleled skill and vision formed the bedrock of a personal and professional relationship with Michael that endured over the course of their twenty-four years of working together. Michael dreamed up ideas that broke new ground in the world of fashion, breaking traditions and setting new trends that were copied the world over. He pushed the boundaries of conceptual fashion, and Tompkins and Bush were right there with him finding new materials

and using new technology to make each of these concepts a reality. Together they created

some of the most whimsical and memorable pieces of over-the-top rock fashion of the twentieth century—many of Michael’s most notable and iconic jackets, gloves, and accessories that

he wore during some of his most historical performances. Iam so pleased to see a book that not only showcases this work, but also one that honors the creative partnership between Michael Jackson, Dennis Tompkins, and Michael Bush, the men

behind Michael’s look.

Fawn VAIL JOHN BRANCA

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INTRODUCTION The Sum of a Man Is More Than His Measurements

ichael Jackson’s image was as much a work of art as the

Behind that curtain, however, was no fagade, but a very real

man himself. Through his music, dance, and fashion, he

man with a deep love and appreciation for art, someone who

created a mystique that was unique to him and recognized as such

very much embodied the dreams he inspired in others. His sense

throughout the world. Michael’s appeal was in his desire to send

of style reflected his perfectionist mind, and by understanding

subtle messages through the manipulation of his voice, body, and

the fashions—along with the personal stories behind them—an

clothes. Costume and performance came together to become

entirely new side of Michael Jackson is revealed.

Michael Jackson. He was a visionary of style and used that vision (along with all of his other considerable talents) to transform himself from kid star to King of Pop. Dennis Tompkins and I

IN MEDIAS RES— IN THE MIDDLE OF THINGS

were members of his cadre: a team of creatives that he personally

Most of the great epic sagas were written by beginning in the

assembled to help bring his idea of himself into physical reality. As

middle of the story, employing the literary device known as in

his exclusive designers for close to twenty-five years, we were the

medias res. Michael Jackson’s life was nothing short ofepic, and

Neocreators of Michael’s fashion style. Through a unique creative

in keeping with that idea, The King of Style begins during the

process, we learned how to channel his thoughts, wishes, and phi-

making of“Bad,” when Michael was at the top of his game but

losophies to create clothing that symbolized what he stood for.

only beginning his solo career. “Bad” was the first tour he per-

TheKing ofStyle is the first-ever pictorial compilation of the evo-

formed without his brothers, and it marked the point when he

' lution of that process—a visual adventure of our work together. We likened Michael Jackson to a canvas. He relished the details,

was always curious about the process, and craved invention—

invited Dennis and me to join his quest to become the ultimate solo artist. As Michael’s image evolved, so did our own as designers and

compelled always to pull off something new. He wanted his

artists. Michael loved a challenge, and he pushed us to rise to

clothes, like his music and dance moves, to be a mind-boggling self-

the occasion. Leading us out of our comfort zone with bizarre

expression. We were tasked with assisting him in that expression.

requests, intriguing riddles, and an unrelenting confidence in our

It was Michael’s wish for us that we compile this book. In fact, it was his idea. “Wouldn’t you love to know how The

abilities, Michael always encouraged us to think beyond the box

and run head-on into the most daunting challenges.

Wizard of Oz was made?” Michael’s eyes would light up with

Sometimes this meant risking that Michael wouldn't like

wonder and grow large as he posed this question. To him, it was

what we tried. For example, there was the Berlin Coat: a black

a no-brainer to pull back the curtain and reveal our contribu-

leather, zipperless coat adorned with car club badges. We were

tion to the makings of a pop icon.

inspired to make it while chasing ideas at a European car show.

Opposite: The Michael mannequin on which for close to twenty-five

years Dennis and Ifitted the hundreds ofpieces we conceptualized, designed, created, and made before dressing Michael Jackson.

When

we presented it to Michael, he asked, “Why did

you make that?” He refused to try it on. Our stomachs all but

panion to his lyrics, music, short films, special effects, and tours; it contributed to a greater whole.

jumped into our throats. But trusting that Dennis and I had an

Nothing exemplifies this fact better than the story of the

instinct about it, Michael tried it on, and it eventually became

Lean Shoes, which was the biggest challenge ever given to

one of his favorite pieces. These types of interactions became

us by Michael. Choreographed into his “Smooth Criminal”

the foundation for our life with Michael, which developed

short film was a dance move referred to as “the lean move,’ in

from a perfunctory relationship into a friendship based on

which Michael leaned forward at a 45-degree angle. Michael

mutual trust and confidence.

wanted to perform this move live onstage and challenged

To us, Michael was a teacher who changed our professional

us to create something that would enable him to do it. We

lives in ways we never expected. The depth and complexities of

invented a device that was installed inside the shoe that

our creations often surprised us—and that was because Michael

hooked into a bolt on the floor and allowed Michael to cre-

was our muse. His philosophy was to always try something new,

ate the “lean” move live. He obtained a patent in all of our

to make people do a double take. His philosophy became our

names. Through that venture, Michael helped us grow from

own. He taught us to expect change and to look for laughter

artists into true inventors.

and humor in every day. Together, we would go on to create what he liked to call “wearable art.”

Although many ofhis clothes and costumes could be consid-

Michael

didn’t

like conforming

to

popular

called apparel designers of mass-produced facturers”

and said, “Clothes

should

style. He

clothing “manu-

fit to me,

not me

to

ered whimsical, Michael didn’t choose his wardrobe on a whim.

the clothes.” His rule was function first. If the piece didn’t

Dressing him was a multilayered process of conveying a message,

work

evoking an emotion, and stimulating a thought in anyone who

total comfort

laid eyes on him. His clothing was both reflection of and com-

crucial. His corduroy shirt was a favorite for this reason. But

for the purpose,

he wouldn’t

wear

it. He demanded

and fit, for which the choice of fabric was

Michael's love of unrestricting garments didn’t mean he wasn’t

Other little-known facts we learned along the way included

a fan of the snug. Ultimately, he wore the garment; the garment

why Michael never polished his shoes or wore anything made

didn’t wear him.

of wool or fur; Michael’s affinity for rhinestones, beads, and

Michael had a dancer’s body, and all of the cuts and fabrics

beautiful natural fabrics; his necessity for a focal point in every

of his performance clothes were form-fitting. He wanted the

ensemble; his favorite jacket of all time, as well as the item he

audience to watch him, not the clothes. The type of clothes he

always wanted to wear, but never had the opportunity to; his

favored also served as protection from being grabbed by a fan.

love of British monarchs, Egyptian gold, Michelangelo, and

For this reason, we avoided neckties, fringes, and bell bottoms, all

Bazooka bubble gum; and our personal favorite: Michael’s

of which made him susceptible to reaching hands.

trickster personality and the pranks he loved to play on Dennis

Dancing played a critical role in his wardrobe and vice versa.

and me.

Dressing him on tour and costuming his entire cast gave us great

Michael was a man of many paradoxes, most of which we

insight into the intricate balance of song, dance, and wardrobe.

were able to represent in the clothes we designed: rigid mili-

For instance, until the day he died, Michael wore only Florsheim

tary cuts that were also elastic and movable; rebellious regalia

shoes! Not to say anything is wrong with black leather loafers

fit for army commanders worn over the heart ofa gentle man;

bought in a mall store, but it would be a safe guess that a man

bedazzled embellishments adorning a man blessed with a quiet

with such fame and fortune would opt for the more expensive

humility; one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted clothes worn with aged,

shoe. But not Michael. He taught himself to dance in Florsheims

scuffed Florsheim shoes. Michael Jackson was the epitome of

as a boy. They were comfortable and were what he had worn as

an enigmatic superstar, and The King of Style charts his journey

a child star. Designers would send him expensive designer shoes,

through the fashions he wore. ~->

like Gucci loafers, but Michael wouldn’t wear them for fear that

he couldn't dance in them.

CHAPTER

ONE

THRILLING A STYLE, STYLING A THRILLER Sa

ep

Coo

\ |ichael Jackson’s pearls

and

all-time favorite

cream-colored

glass

piece of clothing was bugle

looked as if they were standing at attention,

beads.

Tightly

a milky white

placed

Ce

military jacket adorned

in rigid lines

on

like soldiers in a cadre, yet still danced

the lapel,

with

the pearls

in the light.

By the time Dennis and I did this piece, we had been Michael's

the designer, and Madonna might be wearing a white dress with

exclusive stylists, designers, costumers, and personal dressers

pearls. Not much to go on but better than nothing.

for seven years. While we called upon other vendors to help us

Dennis sketched two jackets: one traditional button-less

gather and assemble some of the textiles and materials neces-

suit coat that hit at the hip and one military-style jacket. Both

sary to dress him, the design and production of the clothing was

with pearls and bugle beads. With one week to go before the

strictly a two-man job performed by Dennis and me.

most highly anticipated entertainment event of the year (no

It was 1991, and Michael was preparing to attend the 64th

pressure there), I ran both sketches to Michael’s recording stu-

Academy Awards. He called me up and said, “Bush, I’m going

dio and lay them on the mixing board, and he looked at them

with Madonna to the Academy Awards. Find out what she’s

quietly and said, “Bush, can I have them both?”

wearing.” “Michael, no woman will ever divulge what she is wearing to

the Oscars before she walks the red carpet. There’s no way we'll . find out.” “I know you can do it for me.” Click.

Dennis and I looked at each other and immediately began calling anyone we could to get a hint as to what Madonna might wear to the Oscars. It was a long shot, but Michael didn’t believe in the impossible. We were able to uncover that Bob Mackie was

Page 4: On the set of the “Black or White” short film. Opposite: Wearing his pop regalia, Michael opens a live show on the Dangerous Tour.

Oh, my God. We have one week to make not one coat, but two! “Sure, Michael.” This was pretty typical. In fact, rarely did we show up with

one outfit for Michael on the day of an event. We always brought a couple of ensembles that mixed and matched because it was better for Michael to decide what worked for him in the moment. Which one would be the right one was decided on impulse and

.

gut instinct.

On Oscar night, I brought both garments to him and lay ~ them on the bed. I came early to dress him, as it was my job

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OS450se Michael was infatuated with British heredity

and military history. One of Michael’s favorite quotes came from an unexpected source: “It is with such baubles that men are led.” Napoleon had said these words to indicate the significance of the medals with which he regaled his soldiers. When we toured in Europe, Michael made it his business to visit castles and ancient cities, where

to do so. Dennis was the artist, craftsman, and

he was mesmerized by museum portraits of kings

co-engineer of the clothing, while I was in charge

and queens. He would stare at them along the

of wardrobe and costume choreography on tour,

walls of Buckingham Palace, Tower of London,

Above right: Michael, a sketch artist

determining fit and functionality of his pieces,

or the Houses ofParliament, absorbing it all—the

in his own right, could bring his ideas to life. This sketch is his rendition of

and “icing” the clothes.

glitz, the glamour, the medals and honors, the

Above: In 1993, Michael (wearing

the pearl military jacket) was presented with the Grammy Legend Award by his sister Janet at the

Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

the pearl military jacket.

Michael pointed to the traditional dinner coat.

larger-than-life ways these royals and commanders

“This one is better for me today.” And then he

were portrayed. Michael was fascinated by all of it.

stroked the military coat, “This will be my Grammy

For Michael’s costumes, Dennis and I studied

coat, Bush. Put this one away.”

monarchs and European military history, taking

So Michael wore the dinner jacket to the Oscars,

particular notice of one of the most notorious

and two years later, when presented with an award

kings, King Henry VIII of England. And there

by his sister Janet at the 1993 Grammys, Michael

they were. Pearls. Sewn on the king’s clothes,

graciously received it wearing his pearl military

bedazzling his collars, vests, and bibs. During

coat. It was his all-time favorite coat.

this time in history, royalty was the only popula-

of pieces we created for

tion that could wear pearls, because nobles were

Michael over the twenty-five years we worked

the only ones who could afford them. Pearls were

with him, what made this particular jacket his

truly reserved for the elite. And this opulence was

favorite? The cut of the jacket wasn’t unique. In

not strung on a thread and used as a necklace.

fact, it was his classic military silhouette—short

Royal pearls were attached to the clothes.

Of the hundreds

at the waist, wide at the shoulders, a decorative

There is an irony here of course, as Michael was

epaulet that led your eye to the light. The short

known as the King of Pop. But as it turned out,

answer: opulence.

it was actually Elizabeth Taylor who first said the

name publicly. She introduced him as the “King of Pop, Rock, and Soul” at the 1989 American Music

Awards and the press jumped on it. After a short time, Dennis and I figured out

that if we put a crown or a coat of arms or a cherub in the right place, we were pretty much done. That was your hook into him. Wide-eyed and usually quite excited over a German double-headed lion or other such “new” type of medal we'd try on for effect, Michael would whisper, “Bush, how'd

ya know?” “Hello! I've been doing this for you for umpteen years,’ is what I wanted to say. But I usually just responded with, “We know what you like.” I think that comforted him. It was easier to give him what you knew he liked, to stay within his comfort zone regarding the look and feel of his fashion. Once or twice Michael said, “Bush, I need to try to change

for this short film or shoot.” So, we'd try to put him into something other than his usual silhouette—as if you could ever “reinvent” Michael Jackson—only to revert right back to his preferred silhouette.

HAPPY ACCIDENTS— HOW WE MET MICHAEL While we can all close our eyes and instantly conjure up an image of Michael’s military silhouette, there

was so much more to his look than meets the eye. How could a man who was so compelled to push himself creatively simultaneously crave a consistent

silhouette but never want to be stale? How did every similar cut look unique every time? Accomplishing

such a feat was part of Michael’s magic. Michael’s intent was to be rebellious in what he

wore while applying a mix of authority through the

Michael. That’s actually what happened when I Above: The pearl jacket that Michael met him. Instant connection.

We began collaborating with Michael in 1985

rigid lines of the jacket. In one respect, the military

during the filming of Captain EO. And as with all

cut commanded attention and respect, but this was

great relationships, our beginning with Michael

rock ’n’ roll. Once you make a traditional piece

happened as a fluke. Dennis and I both worked

using rubber or plastic, it becomes rebellious—a

at ABC Television. I worked various jobs as they

subtle slap in the face to the “what’s expected of

became available, on an as-needed basis. If there

you” message.

were costumes to be sewn, I did that; ifan actor on

The tradition is still there, the artwork is there,

a soap opera needed a dresser, it was Bush to the

but I'm rebelling against “the system”inmy own way,

rescue. Dennis, on the other hand began his career

I imagine Michael thought. I believed this edge,

as a dresser, assisting “Old Hollywood” icons like

this rebellion enhanced his ability to communicate

Milton Berle and George Burns and moving his

and connect more fully with his fans. Clothing

way up to become a cutter/fitter for ABC Televi-

aside, though, you couldn’t help but connect with

sion, before Disney hired him to work on Captain

wore to the Oscars with Madonna on March 21, 1991.

“Michael Jackson’s all-time favorite piece of clothing was a milky white military jacket adorned with pearls and cream-colored glass bugle beads.”

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as one of his fifteen sewers. As we worked in the workroom over the summer making the costumes for the dancers, we had no idea who the star of the film was. On our last day on the job, we were taken on a tour ofthe set. “That’s the elevator that is going to take Michael Jackson up through the stage,” one of the staff members told us. The Michael Jackson? I was

flabbergasted. This was right after the Victory Tour, the glove, the moonwalk. In 1985, nothing

and nobody was bigger than Michael Jackson. I was certainly a fan, but the idea that we just made

costumes for a film starring Michael Jackson sent a wave ofchills down my back. Just a few years earlier I was a boy from Appalachia who learned to hand-sew from his mother and found his way via a zigzagging path to Hollywood. I might not have had formal training or any film industry experience, but the one thing I did have was the power of persuasion, and boy was I happy I used it on Dennis. In addition

to his duties on the set of EO,

Dennis was asked to also “dress” Michael and prepare him for filming, but Dennis refused. He was a cutter/fitter after all, and he was just fine concentrating on that responsibility alone. “Ask Michael Bush,’ Dennis suggested to one of the executives.

So they did. “I might not like him,” I said flatly to the studio.

\

“Just try.” In the world

of Hollywood

fashion,

there

Top: Legendary producer George Lucas (right) joins the powwow on the Captain EO set, stirring me into a Hollywood haze. Above: On the set ofEO, Michael’ blue crew-neck T-shirt was interfering with his costume.

is a sort of hierarchy involved: Designers send

Here, my first act of “duty” was to cut the T-shirt with a pair ofscissors. Opposite: The light-up EO jacket was a foreshadowing of the electrifying show clothes to come.

their sketches to cutters/fitters, who cut pattern

paper and fit-fabric from them onto mannequins.

EO, along with costume designer John Napier

Cutters/fitters then send the wardrobe pieces off

(Starlight Express and Cats).

to stitchers, who then pass off the finished gar-

I was excited for Dennis when he was offered

ment to someone in “wardrobe,” whose job is to

the gig during the summer hiatus because it could

hang the garment on a dressing-room rack until a

launch his career into the world of film. Den-

“dresser” is given the outfit. The dresser literally

nis wasn’t exactly jumping up and down, though,

takes the outfit off the hanger and physically puts

as it meant he'd have to sacrifice his three-month

it on the performer.

vacation, but I explained to him that adding to his

I was the same age as Michael Jackson, just

résumé an “industrial film” directed by Francis Ford

twenty-seven years old, and only in the industry

Coppola and produced by George Lucas would

for two and a half years, but I knew one thing:

open doors in ways he couldn’t imagine. I was the

A man of Michael Jackson’s caliber who didn’t have

starstruck one, and with coaxing Dennis ultimately

his own dresser was a major red flag. What was the

signed on to head up the department and hired me

problem? There had to be one.

12

wien

Cit

agit

“I believed this edge, this rebellion are what enabled him to communicate

and connect

more fully with his fans.”

These pages: Even with a monkey on his back, Michael as Captain EO could still turn a witch into a queen. The computer board on the center back connected to the battery pack that was hidden down Michaels right leg. When Anjelica Huston (aka

“the witch’) was transformed, Michael's jacket lit up.

ey

Fase

Saaarga

tame

ees

The next day I got Michael’s clothes together

and brought them to his trailer on the EO set. I waited an hour on the pavement with his costume hanging over my forearm. When I was allowed to enter, it was pitch black and hot as hell in there. Michael was all the way at the back of the trailer where the bed was. I could hear Bubbles, Michael’s

pet chimpanzee, jumping on the bed. A small desk light turned on, and because of the dim light, I

could make out only shadows. And then, “I’m back here.” I walked toward the bed, and the chimp grabbed

my leg. Okay, I thought, maybe this is why Michael Jackson doesn’t have his own dresser. “Are they ready for me?” Michael asked. “I don’t want to get dressed unless I know they’re really

ready for me.” “Yes, they sent me here to dress you.” “That doesn’t mean anything. Please go check

and make sure they are really ready for me.” So back outside I went, my blinded eyes trying to adjust to the early morning light. Assured that indeed “they” were ready for him, I went back into

the trailer to dress Michael Jackson. As I made my way again to the back of the trailer, a stemmed cherry hit me in the face. I couldn't see where it was coming from, but I heard

giggling. Im not liking this chimp, I decided, assuming it was Bubbles taking aim. That’s when another cherry hit me in the shoulder. And Michael cracked up. I was standing right in front of him now, and

wouldn't stretch where Michael needed it to sup-

he looked at me like a twelve-year-old about to give

port and enhance the choreography. Each night

me his best dare. He flung a third cherry at me and

I'd take the costume home, repair it, bring it back,

laughed at my surprised expression. Oh, he wants

and observe how Michael wore it for the rest of

to play, I'll play. So J picked up one of cherries off

the day. He'd

the floor and tossed it back at him. Michael’s jaw

would break down again, and I'd take it home

opened but then his eyes flickered mischievously as

again to repair it.

he slowly raised the bowl of cherries over his head...

dance

his routine,

the costume

“Michael, I am spending more time repairing

this thing than ifIjust made you something from

and dumped the rest of the cherries on me.

scratch that I know will work for you.”

From then on we liked each other. If you couldn’t have fun or didn’t want to, then Michael

But it wasn’t my job at the time, and Michael

didn’t want you around him. He tested me for a

graciously reminded me of that and turned down

sense of humor and I passed.

my offer until I convinced him with a promise: “I can make you a pair of pants that will never

Throughout the filming of Captain EO, there

break down.”

were breakdowns with Michael’s outfits, as often

So I did. And after a day of shooting and dancing

happens in show business. The dance costume

in them, Michael asked me, “Bush, how'd ya know?”

was leather and the lining wasn’t fluid, meaning it

yf

Opposite: On the set of the “Black or White” short film. Above: Michael with Bubbles, the most famous whitefaced chimpanzee, for whom we also had the pleasure of designing clothes.

B) Black Below: Michael wore two double-breasted suits in the “Smooth Criminal” short film, but for.the performance sequence he preferred a single-breasted jacket because it was less bulky to dance in. Pictured here in the foreground of the entire “Smooth Criminal” wardrobe is the single-breasted dance jacket styled in the spirit ofFred Astaire, Michael’ dance idol. Right: Dennis’ phone message to me in 1 994, written

on the sketch for an outfit for the Jackson Family Honors award show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas: “4:00 p.m. (MJ called)” to tell us he wanted a red armband added.

metal CBlack

Cont

Leaves metel)

Fitch

MIC AAEL GUSH

TROJEC]

Fit and function. That’s how I knew. I was very

pretation of street dance invented by Michael

fortunate to be able to sit on the set and watch

Jackson.

Michael perform. I observed specifically how his

After that, I was on full time. Phone calls from

body moved and learned what the clothes needed

the studio came in more consistently: “A week

to do for him. To me, dressing Michael Jackson

from now, Michael’s going to be here or there. We

began with hands-on diagnoses to determine why

need you.” Being on set, studying his rehearsals and

he'd be fighting with the clothes and then how

his performances led me to understand Michael’s

to engineer costumes that worked for the way he

body and how he manipulated it. I evolved from

danced. Michael’s clothes needed to be secondary

dresser to designer. In 1987, when they asked me

to what he was doing. If Ididn’t understand how

to go on tour with Michael and oversee the ward-

he danced, I couldn’t engineer the clothes to fit

robe by his then-designer, Bill Whitten, I thought

and function at their peak.

[had died and gone to heaven. An Ohio boy, born and bred, I had never been out of the country. I

Up next, I dressed Michael for his “Smooth

didn’t even have a passport. Telling Dennis and

Criminal” short film. Again, there were costume

breakdowns. “Bush, I need you to make me a pair

my friends and family that I was going to Japan to

of pants that I can wear. That work.” And so it

assist Michael in his very first solo concert tour—

happened. It was simply a matter of being at the

the one for Bad—I really felt like I made it. When

right place at the right time. We made him his first

you move

off to Hollywood, you leave behind

pair of pants that stretched in the right places—a

many people who are just waiting for you to fail

pair of black Levi’s 501 that we ripped apart and

and come back home with your tail between your

sewed back together, placing spandex inserts into

legs. Not me. I was going around the world and back again.

the inseams to showcase the mesmerizing inter-

18

Typically costumes are made before entertainers see them. It’s frustrating for me to see performers

trying to do their art while simultaneously trying

to make their clothes work. In those early days, I saw Michael’s song and dance and concentration

obstructed, and I thought, It shouldn't be like this.

It wasn’t his job to worry about his clothes. He shouldn't have had to contend with things that

didn’t function. But fit and function weren't the only things we learned about dressing Michael Jackson. The pieces also had to be the first of their kind. Our education in designing and costuming for Michael began to gather in layers. Fit, function. Yes. But don’t forget “first.” And this, obviously, didn’t mean being the

first person to wear socks over your pants or bracelets made out of paperclips. Michael’s creativity

transcended anything Dennis and I thought could be perceived in reality. I think Michael sensed that. And in his own fantastic way, he trained us to

change the way we thought, the manner in which we looked around us, and helped us understand

what pushing the envelope really meant. We knew Michael didn’t like when we saw and didn’t notice.

Michael made it clear that he wanted his clothes to

encompass a whimsy that asked his fans, “Are you

looking? Did you notice?” AY

THE RIDDLER Like any truly inspiring teacher who wants

to

impact his students, Michael’s methods in mold-

ing our creative process were inconspicuous. One of his most ingenious moves was to pose cryp-

“Umm, Mickey Mouse?” I responded. Is that the right answer?

“Bush, that’s a great answer, but we don’t own that.”

tic questions, sending us on a wild goose chase

“Oh.”

to solve riddles. We could tell he thought it was

“Think hard. There’s something every person

humorous to puzzle us. And, in a sense, this mind-

in the world can identify with. What is it?”

bending game was one of the best ways we learned

“What do you think, Michael?” I was giving up.

from Michael. Only we didn’t know it at the time.

“Bush, I’m asking you.”

Late one evening, I answered the phone.

Click.

“There is something that every person in the

As if Dennis and I could have an appetite after

world can recognize. What is it?”

receiving calls from The Riddler at ungodly hours

Click.

of the night, we did wind up going out to dinner

Oh, great. What the hell is he talking about?

that week. I don’t know why it came so fast, but the

About twenty-four hours from the minute the

instant I looked down at my place setting, there

first call came in, our phone rang again. “Well, what did you come up with?” Michael asked.

they were: fork, knife, spoon. Certainly every per-

son in the world has seen these. And that’s what I told Michael when I called him that night.

Above: Michael wore the Dinner Jacket for a photo for the Dangerous Tour program.

“Michael’s creativity transcended

anything Dennis and I thought could be perceived in reality.”

These pages: The Dinner Jacket was one ofMichael’ personal favorites, and he wore it on the Ranch when he hosted guests.

asi

—

-_—

~

=

-

&

(,4

ni

a

“Great, Bush. Now put them on a coat for me.” Click. My immediate question to Dennis was, How?

I had learned already there was no reason to ask

Michael Jackson why. He didn’t know why. There was no why. It was that genius way of thought that you just couldn’t explain, so it was better to accept

it than fight it. A lot of times we would go shopping to flea markets or wherever, and we'd be petrified

because we saw Michael looking all around, his eyes darting, and wed hope we were noticing what he

was noticing. So many times we got back into the car, and Michael would be pumped, “Oh, Bush, did

you see that?” “Damn. No, I missed it.”

“Oh, you have to go back,” he'd say, opening the car door and shoving me out. Michael was training

us to get inside his head, to know his mind-set on a visceral level. Trying to educate ourselves on what influenced Michael, what he noticed, was an invitation into knowing what made him tick. That education took

place by watching Michael’s reactions to the clothes we made. We needed to forecast his needs and also think outside the box, but the final criteria for cre-

ating Michael’s pieces became clear to us only after we noticed what excited him about wearing them. When Michael moved in the Dinner Jacket,

he was captivated by the clanking metal uten-

:

sils, because the silverware caught the light and

sounded like keys dangling on a keychain. Visually and audibly, the jacket provided an entertainment

factor. It offered a special effect all its own. That

i

Michael could manipulate the effect himself made the jacket even more fun. ~*~

Opposite and above: Some of Michael’ pop regalia.

25

THE

FOUR

Fs OF DRESSING

MICHAEL

JACKSON

FIT: Material needs to be sleek, elastic, tight-fitting but porous. Nothing bulky. The goal was to fit his clothes so

his choreography could be facilitated and appreciated.

FUNCTION:

To work with Michael's movements the

clothes needed to be able to stretch. In addition, bellbottom pants were considered nonfunctional, as they covered Michael’s footwork and caused tripping.

FUN:

From

fabric that made

noise when

rubbed

together, to zippy zippers and clanking metal, Michael

loved it all. Clothing that was fluid and moved with him was fun to him. Shine, bounce, even electricity was not

only a welcome addition to Michael’s wardrobe, but a defining factor ofit.

FIRST:

Think so far outside the box, you'd need a

plane ticket to fly back into it. Our mind-set became, “What hasn’t Michael worn? What haven’t we put on

him yet?” We never wanted to do the same thing twice.

FIT: This silver four-way stretch spandex shirt provides the perfect fit. Sleek and fluid, Michael could move effortlessly on the stage during the Bad Tour.

aes os

FUNCTION: You couldn't see Michael onstage during the Motown Medley on the Dangerous Tour, but you couldnt miss his glow-in-the dark jacket. In order to find a

fabric that would function, we solicited the New York Fire Department, which so generously donated cases of the same protective gear worn by New Yorks bravest.

FUN: “Make me a jacket out ofgum wrappers,” Michael told us. Inspired by iridescent gum wrappers, we bought three yards ofhologram fabric to create this hussars jacket. In 2009, this fun piece was displayed at the GRAMMY

Museum in Los Angeles.

FIRST: Michael could sense a fashion trend in even the

most unexpected items. The arm brace that premiered in the “Black or White” short film was inspired by a medical brace typically used to treat carpal tunnel syndrome.

a

CHAPTER

Bue

TWO)

ONS

THE MICHAEL MYSTIQUE

SSCo

| ike his music,

dressing Michael Jackson

Sround,.of his songs, happened

to make

iN

OQ

Michael

it all come

was

an exercise in layering, purposeful yet free. In the back-

sampled—unique

together.

a

and

unconnected

The controlled chaos was

elements

that when

combined

just

part of Michael’s mystique.

Emulating Michael’s music meant being multifaceted in our

sleeve. “Bush,” he said, “how do you not hurt your fingers when

designs. We had to be balanced while maintaining flow; gar-

bending back the little prongs behind the studs? How can you do

nished, but not gauche. Not only did we have badges, we had

so many without bleeding?”

buckles, zippers, studs, and rhinestones. Michael didn’t acces-

He was referring to the prongs on the back of what is known

sorize, he embellished. “What you can’t wear, I will carry,’ was

as a “rim set,’ which holds a stone in place so it can fasten onto

one of his sayings. And just as with his music, he wanted us to

fabric securely. I was sort of confused by the question. Why would

push his wardrobe right to the edge, which presented us with

he care?

something of a rhyme wrapped in a riddle: How do you know where or when to stop before you kill a piece? “You can’t stop till you get enough,’ right? Michael was a master of balance in his

music, and we needed to learn that, too, for his clothing.

“T have a machine.” Well, you would’ve thought that I just told him where Big-

foot lived. “You do?”

Michael’s synergy of music and style was part of his genius. He

Is he pulling my leg again? | wondered. He can't really believe

had a personal interest in clothing dating back to the ’60s, when the Jackson 5 was working the circuit, trying to catch a big break.

I pressed each prong ofthe hundreds ofrhinestones onto his clothing

I learned this through an ordinary conversation that became

“T want a machine.” He said it like a little kid who just saw

by hand... can he?

extraordinarily revealing. Michael and I were riding together to the studio one day in 1990, and he was fiddling with the fabric of one of his jack-

his sister with a big ice cream cone and was salivating to have

ets, investigating the glowing foiled rhinestones that rowed the

brothers and sisters, and me, we were the ones who made them.

Page 28: 2,064 rhinestones encrusted the last glove in which Michael would ever

be photographed in 2002. The shoot was for a Vibe magazine cover. Opposite: For a Sony television commercial that aired exclusively in Japan, Michael pulls off this magical dance move with no music, manipulating his body instead to his own brand offinger snapping and tongue clicking.

one, too. “When we were first starting out,’ Michael went on to

explain, “we had to make our own show-clothes. My mother, my

maybe that means you can sing for me.” His eager smile and soft giggle told me he wasn’t playing

I remember pressing those stones into my clothes one by one, and my fingertips would bleed. Those prongs were sharp. It hurt, Bush.”

his usual tricks on me, but still there was no wayI

“Michael, you could’ve used a thimble.”

was going to play karaoke as we sat in the car. As

“We didn’t have those.” appreciation for what Dennis and I did because he

I held the modest glove, I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic for a young Michael Jackson sitting in his small Indiana home, pushing rhinestones into

experienced what it took to do it.

the right-handed white waiter’s glove. It was small

It was then I realized that Michael had a real

and flimsy, amateurish, nothing like the man.

GLITTER AND THE GLOVE

The type of microphone, choreography, or

As the limo drove us to the Shrine Auditorium

mood often dictated which hand would don the

in downtown Los Angeles for an awards show in

glove during “Billie Jean.” But no matter the cir-

1990, Michael handed me the first glove he ever

cumstance,\ Michael never wore two something

wore that he made and told me it was his gift to

that started in the late ’60s or early ’70s, when he

me. “See, Bush, if Ican make my own clothes, then

was coming into his own.

It surprised Michael how the world stopped for that glove after his performance of “Billie Jean” at the Motown 25 anniversary special. He

THE MICHAEL JACKSON BURN CENTER

said he owed it all to the magic oftelevision. “I’ve

AT BROTMAN MEDICAL CENTER 3828 DELMAS TERRACE CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA 90232 (213) 836-7000

been wearing this glove for years, and now they

finally notice it?” The white leather golf glove sparkled with 1,619 crystal rhinestones and was

STOP THE BURNING PROCESS REMEMBER THERMAL

CHEMICAL

every replay of that clip, the glove became syn-

dg

blankel Water, water and more water, at low pressure.Protect eyes lush for minimum of 20 minutes. then flushed as above.

ELECTRICAL

made by an assistant to the Jackson family. With

REMOVE CONTACT WITH BURNING AGENT - GOOD BODY ALIGNMENT - PREVENT SPINAL INJUB

(Flame, hot liquids, steam): Clathing on fire: Cover eyes - Stop, Remove smoldering clothing. Cool the burn with cold water and

Dry chemicals must be

Fompletely dustdd

onymous with Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.”

off

There were several variations of the Billie Jean

Discontinue contact by shutting off power source or Use wood, plastic, rubber) to remove person from sour

(Note: Tim

glove, including a left-handed red leather golf glove made in the ’70s, before Bill Whitten took

over the job and changed the glove from leather to spandex in time for the Victory Tour in 1984. When I joined Michael’s camp on the Bad Tour in Add

RULE Applie: up areas bu

Japan in 1987, Michael was alternating the glove

ON OF DEPTH

on each hand. On the third night of the first leg,

PARTIAL

ist DEGREE

THICKMESS 1 &2°

Sensatign

however, Michael’s mic, which he held in his right

to

Pinprict

REDDENING

(#25

2nd vecree

BLISTERS, MOIST

3rd DEGREE

Ne@bdie)

hand, rubbed against the rhinestones sewed to the

{Ul

y'aq@ >

palm of the glove. Michael could hear the static

No sation loPingri

\

CHARRED, WHITES, LEATHERY

on the tape as he reviewed it, and it upset him. A

:

perfectionist, Michael wanted it fixed immediately and tasked me to figure out how. I removed the

MINOR Any Hospital ER

crystals from the inside of the glove, and together

1. Second Degree burns < 15% adult

TBSA or < 10% child TBSA

2. Third Degree burns ot2% oF less, not

we decided the glove worked better when Michael

involving eyes, ears, face, hands, feet, perineum in an adult or

circumterential

3. Allburns over 2% must be evaluated

wore it on the hand with which he held the mic—

by @ physician

his right hand. He never alternated after that.

Left: Michael wore this glove while being wheeled offset on a

stretcher after his infamous Pépsi commercial accident in 1984.

32

MAKING

THE GLOVE

IN 7 STEPS

1. Buy a commercially manufactured waiter’s glove. 2. Dismantle the glove.

3. Stretch it on a rack.

YY

Seeryy

4. Draw vertical plumb lines using a disappearing ink pen. agente a “ teks

5. Knot individual rhinestones from underneath the glove. 6. Proceed to graduate sizes from large to small. 7. Hand-stitch the glove back together.

Ee

== Tarr

ys yo A

er Hev

Fifty hours of hand-knotting rhinestones keeps individual crystals secure. ne= ae AOE L

ORES PO : inaa, te 5

tie eet

Left: Circa 1960s, Michaels homemade glove is adorned with mostly rim-set crystal stones—twelve oval, nineteen

pink round, three aurora borealis round, twenty-four small round, seventy-three small jonquil light yellow round, and on the pinky, three tiffany-set round stones. Above: Michael autographed this glove and gave it to me in 1990.

©66 2608

SOLO apog,y #eae,, SPP PagTE

@ 8 © tag oaee® Ste > Seager

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Above: A teenaged “dancing machine,” Michael donned a black leather golf glove on tour with his brothers in the 1970s. Other versions included black-and-white mesh and red leather.

Opposite: 1,619 rhinestones were the focal point of an iconic performance at the 1983 Motown 25 anniversary special, where Michael’ moonwalk was born. After this

unprecedented performance, Michael would forever consider the white rhinestone glove reserved for “Billie Jean.”

Above: The ultimate invitation to a Thriller party in Michael Jackson’ honor in 1984, each invitee received a glove with location and RSVP details in lieu of a traditional paper invitation. Because this commemorated the launch of one of the most celebrated albums of all time, this “glovitation” has been auctioned for thousands of dollars.

Above and below: Each of the nine Bill Whitten fantasy gloves averaged 1,100 rhinestones. Made in the 1980s, Michael never

wore any of them. Additionally notable about these gloves is the size ofthe rhinestones, which are considerably larger (#85) than those on the gloves he previously wore.

Above: When Dennis and I took over the glove in 1987, it was the first time we altered it to function for performance. Pictured here, the “performance” glove allowed Michael to hold a microphone without creating static feedback.

Above: The rhinestone glove in black, used in a

HIStory album promo, filmed in Budapest in 1994,

A DRESSING

DICHOTOMY

While Michael had an appreciation for the art

Everyone coming in for meetings or recordings or whatever didn’t have to be concerned with dressing

of dressmaking and a natural affinity for style,

to impress. On those days, Michael would whoop

Michael believed his clothes served one purpose

with such excitement you’d think Walt Disney had

and one purpose only: showmanship. But to him,

just invited him to dinner.

even a walk down Hollywood Boulevard on any

People thought that Michael ran around wearing his famous sequined glove, but it was only worn when he was moonwalking. No sooner would he finish a performance or an appearance, than he would start dropping the pieces, with me running behind him, scrambling to catch what he sent sailing over his shoulder. He just didn’t care about wearing his show clothes beyond the purpose they were intended to serve. More than anything, he despised fittings. He considered them a huge waste of time. He'd rather save the minutes and hours of the day for things of importance, like making music, perfecting his dance, and watching The Simpsons.

given Sunday deserved special attention to style, so

there weren't many days that didn’t include some sort of showmanship. A man who paraded around in sashes and sterling silver boots and championship belts preferred all the comforts that loungewear affords. It is just Below: In 1996, per Michaels request, we created five classic

another dichotomy of dressing Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson hand poses using sculpt wire to produce a museumquality showcase of the Billie Jean

His performance

glove. Michael’ instruction was,

“Make me a glove in every color of the rainbow for my trophy room.”

Opposite: We would buy sixty to seventy-five corduroy shirts at a time.

clothes were

fitted, skin-tight,

and flashy; his private clothes, baggy and often sloppy. If you told Michael he could dress down somewhere, he'd be relieved. Little things like that pleased him. Sometimes

at the studio, Michael deemed it “Casual Day.”

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“Why do I have to try this on?” he'd argue and fidget. “If you know what you're doing, then

it should fit.” He wasn’t exactly happy about having people constantly fiddle with, pull at, or

rearrange his seams, hems, and collars. The “Michael uniform” was all he wore when he wasn’t performing: corduroy shirt, usually red;

black cotton pants with box pleats, sometimes with a cuff; and his loafers. Ask him why and he'd

say, “Bush, if I have fifty red corduroy shirts in my closet, I don’t have to think about what I’m going

to wear. What a waste of energy and time.” Practicality aside, Michael’s love of play was

ubiquitous. “If I only have one choice in my closet, he told me,

“then you won't know

if

I have-had this on for the last three days. Is it

clean? Is it dirty? You don’t know... .” He loved to keep people guessing because it meant they were paying attention.

“He loved to keep people Suessing because it meant they were paying attention.”

BUILDING

A BRAND

(and there were many of them), Michael would

We had the fit and function aspect of Michael’s

call me up. “Bush, where are you? I need you to

clothes down, but where would we go from there

bring me some dust.”

to help Michael

brand

a look without

Which meant he wanted to see rhinestones.

being

pigeonholed? When you start to build someone’s

Sometimes I'd drive three hours to retrieve loose

show clothes, you begin by asking them, “What’s

rhinestones straight from the factory, just because

your favorite period of time? Nineteen-twenties?

looking at them in that raw form pleased Michael

Renaissance?

Sixties?” The

to no end. Every time I opened the swatch of white

answers give you a base silhouette with which to

felt that encased the rhinestones, he'd gasp. The pre-

start. Touring with Michael in Europeans cities, the fact that he’d rush off to find the nearest castle or

sentation literally took him aback. Then he'd take them from me and delicately move them around

museum with military and British royal heredity

with his fingertips and whisper, “Bush, look. Look

instantly answered a gazillion questions about what

at how shiny. Look!” He was like an awestruck kid,

Modern?

Seventies?

and I couldn’t help realizing that while I had been

he wanted to put on. At least when it came to costuming and perfor-

working with rhinestones all my life, I had never

mance wear, this man of so much mystery wasn’t

appreciated them the way he did in that moment.

very mysterious to Dennis and me. He preferred

Still whispering, he’d continue, “Can you imagine

materials like China silk and silk charmeuse. If a

being a pirate opening a treasure chest? And seeing

fabric stretched, then all the better. Spandex made

all the glitter inside? What a fascinating life, to bea

Michael feel sleek and secure and worked for his

pirate like that.”

dance style. We usually avoided patterns so as not

For Michael, slinging dust never got old. This

to call attention to his skin disorder—vitiligo, a

appreciation for detail and for the things in life so

skin condition that causes depigmentation of sec-

often taken for granted was a part of his magic. He

tions of the skin. We stuck with saturated jewel

had magic, because he truly believed in it—fairy

tones like ruby red, sapphire blue, and emerald

dust and all. Michael’s clothes were

green. Each item had to have a British influence. armor. But the key to keeping a look fresh is to

decorative

features. Michael’s

know a performer’s backup. If it’s not a knight

lishments

that engaged

or a monarch, what’s your next preference? For

gave us the freedom

Michael, it was pirates.

sible as part of the icing process. Icing Michael’s

clothes,

imagination, nothing shone more vibrantly than a

hologram fabric on the front and an armband to reproduce the look of rhinestones without the weight.

that

begged for “icing’—the process of adding the

Michael loved things that sparkled, and in his

Above: Loose lochrosen rhinestones never failed to impress Michael. Opposite: The “Blood on the Dance Floor” performance jacket features

blank canvases

Our starting point was always knights in shining

particularly

love for embel-

people’s visual senses

to try everything poshis jackets, became

the

most challenging part of our work as well as

chest of buried treasure, dug up. For this very rea-

the cornerstone to our development and evolu-

son, his favorite character was Tinker Bell, who,

tion of Michael’s style, all while staying within

with a wave of her wand, would send a trail of

the parameters

magic dust to dangle in midair.

Taking into consideration what had already been

of his recognizable silhouette.

“Bush, we’re going to have to sling some dust,”

done, what had never been done, and the need for

Michael would often say, pointing to a new piece

accomplishing synergy and balance between dif-

that I thought was finished. On other occasions

ferent elements was at the core of the challenge.

40

a ® C) ok

dam

EERO CULEEE EREUEES

MICHAEL,

THE MARKETER

makes us stop and look, that meant it was working.

Dennis and I constantly educated ourselves on

And rarely was it clothes that got our attention.

what influenced Michael, what he noticed, what

What color caused us to pause? The human eye

made him tick. We would go into magazine shops,

dilates when it sees the color red, which is why red

spending thousands of dollars buying everything

was Michael’s favorite color. What textures, what

published that week or month to take back to

shapes called out to us in the ads? Noticing effec-

Michael at his Westwood condominium on the

tive marketing techniques played into our design

Wilshire

process and helped us think outside ofthe box.

Corridor.

Only people in Michael’s

Michael Jackson was all about street fashion.

inner circle knew where he was, and the staff that

worked in the building had to sign confidentiality

He wanted to be couture but also to have his cloth-

agreements indicating they wouldn’t tell anyone

ing have an edge to them—to be rebellious. The

about Michael’s residency.

worst thing that you could do, in Michael’s opin-

Sitting

on

the

plush-carpeted

floor

with

ion, was have your tie match your pocket square. It

Michael, we'd turn page after page, and when some-

meant you had no individuality or artistic ability

thing grabbed our attention, Michael told us to put

because some designer or magazine editor told you

an “x” in the corner of the photo to mark the spot.

what you should or shouldn’t wear. We were on

“Why did you stop at that?” he'd ask. It could’ve

hyperalert for what was “trending”—because that’s

been a car ad, a lipstick color, anything. This

what Michael wanted us to avoid. “I want them to

was Michael’s education process—part

Socratic

copy me,” he would say as he turned the pages of

method, part hands-on activity. The art of ask-

the magazines. And he felt very strongly about that.

ing questions and searching for answers expanded

“T have to stand out from the crowd.”

our understanding of what motivated Michael. He

We had to know what was happening right

explained to us his views on the media’s attempt

now, so we could train ourselves to think ahead. We

to control the audience and how, when something

shopped at a lot of flea markets, buying everything in

43

Opposite and above: Saturated jewel tones create a splash with shirts and jackets.

Above: Dennis and me in our studio,

1992.

sight because you didn’t know how it might attach to

wearing outside what the media advertised. He

a garment, unless you tried it out. Michael’s lessons

thought that if a look was printed in a magazine,

pushed Dennis and me as artists because we would

it was already over. “You have to find the next.” In

look at something and think, Where am I going to

his mind, Europe was ahead of the States in terms

take this? Where would someone else take this? Will

of art, culture, and fashion, so he chose London asa

people question it? Notice it? Remember it?

starting point for our style reconnaissance.

Michael didn’t think it was cool to take cues

While

Michael

stayed in LA, Dennis

and I

from fashion magazines. He believed that editors

spent a week walking the streets of London, talk-

were making all of the decisions about what the

ing to people in gin-soaked pubs and punk rock

world should wear, and he couldn’t get behind that

clubs and smoke-filled restaurants. We frequented

idea. People from the fashion world were always

less conservative places to avoid tourists and chain

trying to dress him, and Michael would say, “I don’t

restaurants, where generic corporate types went to

want to be a walking billboard for a conglomerate.”

happy hour and got drunk off two pints. What we

Michael took his individuality extremely seri-

were after was the London underground scene, the

ously. “Pack your camera. You're going to London

rebellious places where self-expression took prec-

for me,’ he told me over the phone one day in 1990.

edent over making impressions.

It was at the height of Michael’s success after the Bad album. Unable to be seen out in public for too long without attracting a mob, Michael wanted us

to be his eyes and ears about what everyone was

“What’s the fashion?” we'd ask women and men of all ages, shapes, and sizes.

“We're waiting to see what they come out with in Hollywood,’ was the standard answer.

From LA, Michael rang our hotel room, eager

for some treasure. “So what did you find?” “We would have been better off just walking

our own backyard,” I explained to him, defeated.

“Oh, well, have some fun anyway and enjoy the rest of the trip. When you get back, we'll check out Melrose.”

It wasn’t the only time Michael was wrong, but at least he was a good sport. This reminds me of the very first jacket Michael wanted us to make for him in 1988, when he asked for plates of flat metal

to run up and down the slats of the coat and hook to one another in various directions and, of course,

police badges.

MICHAEL BUSH

“Trt won't work, said Dennis.

“Why not?” Michael didn’t believe in “can’t” or “won't.”

“Because every place on the body is curved,’

explained Dennis. “There are no straight lines. The human form is made up of compound curves, and if you put a hard piece of metal there that’s not shaped

in four different ways, it’s going to stick out. Hard plates won't bend with the body.’ It was a legitimate reason, but Michael didn’t

want a part of it. Dennis did the coat anyway, and we brought it to the studio to try on. He looked in the mirror at both of us standing behind him. “You were right,’ was all Michael said, as he took off the coat

and handed it back to us. After that, our relationship with Michael was

never forced. He could simply call us up and say, “IT want a coat.” And we'd get it done. We earned his trust and proved our credibility. Michael knew what he wanted but didn’t know how to make it happen. That would be up to us. Some

people loved the results and some hated it. I think Michael was more interested in the people who

MADE EXPRESSLY FOR

hated what he wore. They noticed. They paid attention.

A ka

From 1990 on, Michael kept us so busy that we

DENNIS TOMPKINS / MICHAEL BUSH

lost all of our other clients. Many of our friends

HOLLYWOOD

and colleagues would tell us we should make

LAS VEGAS

Sears

Michael sign a contract to legally become his exclusive designers, but that would have forced

Above: Michael hated labels unless they were ours.

our relationship, and if we made it a forced issue,

our whole artistic symbiosis would have gone out the window. >

45

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baek

Above: Dennis, Michael, and me during the Bad Tour with one ofMichael's chimpanzees, who Michael adoringly called Graveyard due to his habit of staying awake all night. Below: A shirt with chrome-plated brass on cotton. Michael wore this in an LA Gear advertisment.

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Opposite: On February 15, 1997, Michael showed his individuality by accompanying Elizabeth Taylor to her sixty-fifth birthday celebration wearing a black German-velvet jacket with crystal rhinestone metal appliqué in relief. Two rhinestone crowns flanked his collar, but the real surprise was in the blue silk charmeuse

lining added to honor the birth of Prince Michael Joseph Jackson Jr.

e

Above: Although it was his design, Michael hated this coat so much he made me photograph myselfin it. It was a good thing that at the time we wore the same size, which enabled me to try on most of his clothes to make sure they fit and functioned.

a

47

eee

i

THE 7 PATTERNS

OF MICHAEL

fter we had the silhouette down—military

Teh

and British heredity—dressing Michael became —F, ¥ oO m7

more about icing the clothes than designing or cutting.

JACKSON

u

With a few exceptions, it is safe to say that throughout our twenty-five-year career working with Michael, we

used the same seven patterns as the basis for all of his clothes: the casual pant (Billie Jean box pleat/1940s

Boe

|

Oo SF

‘ends Vv

style), the Levi’s 501 dance pant, the short military jacket cut to Michael’s waist, a blazer suit jacket, a

boxy jacket (“Beat It,” “Thriller? “Billie Jean”), a show

Ep

shirt 4 la “Dirty Diana” and “Come Together,’ and a casual shirt (red corduroy). In fact, in 1985, Dennis

x

COL + |Tithehiice

measured and fitted Michael, and we cut out patterns on sloper paper that became our go-tos. We never measured or fit him again, mostly because he hated fittings, which saved time for us all. If we didn’t have the consistency of Michael’s silhouette and his measurements, we would never have been able to make his

pieces as fast as we did. Usually when dressing Michael we had less than

wai

_/\

four weeks’ notice. Most of the time, Michael would give us his usual preamble to the task, “Time is not our

friend, Bush, burI need... .”

As we'd walk out the door, the clock already tick-

eye seers

——

ing, Michael would come up from behind us and

Payor

whisper, “I know you can do it for me.” Here was the most prolific, successful artist in the

world, and he believed J could do something. Michael

had this way of knowing how to get people to work for him and get the job done, especially those jobs that were seemingly impossible. He was a master at hiring the right people for what he needed done, per-

haps because he had an uncanny ability to sense the highest potential in others and draw the best out of

them. Dennis and I, more often than not, would stay

up around the clock because we knew that we could

deliver for Michael, and our faith in that ability was staked in Michael's belief in us.

If someone told Michael, “No, he’d simply disassoci-

ate from that person, but “no” was not in my or Dennis's vocabulary when it came to dressing Michael Jackson. WAIST: 28

CHEST: 36

SLEEVE: 34.5

INSEAM: 32

To

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CHAPTER

a

THREE

THE MESSAGE IN MICHAEL’S MAGIC

NSie

\ {ichael Jackson

was

SS

a stage magician.

He was

utterly euphoric,

Se

electrifying the audience

mark pop-and-lock street dance. He always took his performance ten steps beyond.

with his trade-

“What hasn’t been done

before? What haven’t I done before? What do ‘they’ say cannot be done? What would mystify people and make them wonder whether

I am

human

or superhuman?”

porating magic into his show became

These were Michael’s questions day in and day out, and incor-

the answer that thrust him into a league all his own.

Others can sing and

dance, but Michael knew what people really want to see is magic. They want to witness the unbelievable. Michael

was led by the insatiable urge to top himself and give the audience a stunt they would absolutely never ever forget.

He couldn't turn it off—a true artist doesn’t have an on/off switch. There’s only one mode: showtime!

Michael thought beyond the parameters of what you and I could

everybody and ones you didn’t have to be a pop icon to obtain,

imagine only in our wildest dreams. Sometimes it was downright

like shoes, socks, gloves, and hats. That could be why he didn’t

scary; being in the presence of such genius meant I didn’t know

believe in the word “can’t.” If a little boy from Gary, Indiana, the

what was next—until the phone rang in the middle of the night.

seventh child in a family of nine children, could teach himself to

“Bush, if my Thriller coat could light up, that would be the

ultimate.” “Bush, I want to disappear in the middle of my show—right

before everyone’s eyes.”

“Bush, I want a pair of shoes made completely out of silver. Nobody has ever worn metal shoes.”

2

99

dance in a pair of ordinary shoes, then anything is possible.

THE FIRST MAGIC ACT: FLORSHEIM SHOES People were always trying to get me to change Michael’s shoes. “He should be wearing custom or designers,’ I heard often. But

“Bush, I want to fly offstage. I know you can make it happen.”

to mess with Michael’s Florsheims could be a career-ending

I wasn’t a special effects technician, but I had to think like

move, and I learned that the hard way.

one when I was designing the outfits that went along with these

I was a novice when I joined the Bad Tour in Japan in 1987,

stunts. Some nights, I’d wish he'd just ask us to send him to the

but I knew a few things about my job description as dresser. I

moon. But this limitless personality trait was in itself a part of

was in charge of the fit, function, and application, as well as the

Michael's magic. And a large part of that magic, like Michael

maintenance, of Michael's clothes. During and after shows, I’d

himself, was not grandiose. Often Michael found magic in things

hand wash and blow dry silk shirts and rhinestone socks. I'd

that weren't magical at all, that were common items relatable to

apply rubbing alcohol to metallic belts, buckles, and whatever

Page 50: On the set of the “Black or White” short film. Opposite: Michael at a sound check in Japan, 1987.

Top left: These worn-out size 91% “dance shoes” from the Bad Tour have a piece of elastic on either side ofthe top part, which enabled the shoe to stay on when Michael danced and kicked. Top right: The first pair ofshoes in which Michael performed his moonwalk. Above: When it . was “showtime,” Michael wore the exact opposite of his comfy loafers: Beatle boots completely covered in rhinestones. Right: Icing boots with rubies is an intricate layering process.

54

, he 4

k

{

bf

f

|

q

i| HI

—

other icings we put on the pieces that required a

Before Michael could walk, he was feeling the

spit and sparkle after an aggressive performance. I’d

beat. Michael told me that his mother, Katherine,

sew seams back together or fix other types of ward-

recalls him imitating the oscillating movements of

robe breakdowns. And, at the direction of manage-

the washing machine when he was a small child.

ment, I shined Michael’s pair of creased, scuffed up,

Michael had taught himself to dance in Florsheims,

raggedy-looking Florsheim shoes. It was the least I

and in his mind he feared that if he tried to dance in

could do. No superstar—or businessman, for that

anything else, he would lose the magic in his steps.

matter—would dare be seen with such a mess on

“These are the shoes that my family could afford

his feet.

and what I learned to dance in,” he went on to tell

Michael happened to see me sitting there in his

me.

“I don’t care what you do to my clothes, just

hotel room putting a polish on like a shoeshiner in

don’t touch my shoes. These are my dance shoes. I

the middle of Grand Central Terminal.

love my shoes. Leave them alone.”

“No! Don’t touch my shoes.” A wave of anxiety

Actually I was allowed to touch the shoes when

mixed with confusion made me go mute. I didn’t

I first took brand-new ones out of the box. With

know what to say. “Don’t ever polish my shoes,’

a razor blade I slashed the unscuffed leather soles,

Michael elaborated. He was angry. It was a side of

where the ball of the foot is placed. And because

him I had never seen, and my stomach bottomed

the rubber soles had traction, I replaced the rubber

out. He never raised his voice, but the combination

with dance leather, a smooth and slippery material

of his hand gestures and inflection in his slowly

that enabled Michael to slide along the stage. Trac-

pronounced words indicated he meant business.

tion was no friend to a moonwalker.

Any time Michael got mad about something to do

For the Captain EO movie in 1985, Michael

with his professional life, he never quipped. Instead

had to dance in a space suit costume, and his Flor-

he was like a parent explaining to a small child not

sheims didn’t fit with the theme. Reebok high-tops

only that he did something wrong, but why it was

blended much better, but he wouldn’t dance in

wrong. Simply telling me not to touch the fire

them. So, he had the soles of the Reebok cut out

was not the same as telling me because I could get

with a hacksaw to fit his Florsheim loafers inside.

burned. Michael wanted me to learn from this mis-

Asking Michael to dance in a new pair of

take. He explained, “The leather is worn the way

shoes, or even mess with the ones he had already

I like it. And if you coat them in polish, the shoes

broken in just right, was like asking a home

will slip. If I fall and twist an ankle, we are all out

run hitter to change his bat or a catcher to use

of a job.”

a brand-new

55S

mitt. The shoes were sacred and

Above: During the 1987 Bad Tour, Michael’ clothes took up more space in

my hotel rooms than I did.

“Others can sing and dance, but Michael knew what people really want to see is magic.”

represented yet another paradox that contributed to Michael’s mystique. He could wear 18-karat gold leg guards and drape his furniture in Austrian crystal rhinestones, but don’t give Michael a pair ofdesigner loafers. They couldn’t moonwalk, or tap dance, or stand on toe, or spin blurrily for nine revolutions with the precision of a toy top. The Florsheims, however, could do all that and more. On tour I had two pairs of broken-in Florsheims that I was so paranoid about losing, I slept with a pair beneath my pillow every night.

were lined all the way down into his shoes. Before

STITCHING

people just put rhinestones here and there in

we began working with Michael, he would come off-stage bleeding. We needed to make him a new pair that lined from the ankle up and that would scrunch without twisting or sliding down into the

shoes as a result of their weight. And they needed to be glass rhinestones, as opposed to flat sequins,

because glass rhinestones are faceted and bounce light the best.

Typically, on one sock we'd have eighteen to twenty-four grooves (114 rhinestones in a row)

and they had to touch one another. Solid. Most

A SOCK

Michael loved his white socks for three reasons:

enough places to give the illusion of full coverage.

(1) Nobody wore white socks with black shoes

Not Michael. It was a perfection thing. If one per-

and pants unless that person was stuck in a 1940s

son is going to do that, he was going to do this.

time warp; (2) his socks had dust slung on them;

We'd meet up with Michael to go over sketches

and (3) they put a spotlight on what he was doing

while he recorded at the studio, and he'd line pen-

with his feet.

nies together in a row and make them touch. “See,

In 1988, in preparation for the Grammys at

Bush, they have to touch. Solid.”

Radio City Music Hall in New York City, when

And he was right. Ultimately, we produced

Michael watched his rehearsal tape play back his

the ultimate Billie Jean sock pair, which weighed

response was utter disgust. Why? Because his black

approximately two and a half pounds and cost

dance shoes blended in with the black floor he was

thousands of dollars to ice. After every show, the

expected to dance atop.

socks needed

His white socks were the solution: Put on a

repair, and we'd “re-sling” miss-

ing dust that Michael had sprinkled over a sea of

pair of white socks and the light would catch them.

bedazzled fans.

Michael knew the human eye gravitates toward

Getting people to watch his feet became its

light, which was one of the reasons he loved rhine-

own magic act. Light is an illusionist’s friend,

stones and sequins so much. They caught light and

distracting or attracting the audience to suit the

manipulated it, and that fascinated him. Ifhe could

illusionist’s needs. The larger the crowds Michael

ensure his audience would focus on his feet, they

would perform in front of, the more concerned

could see the magic of his steps. On tour, Michael

he became with their ability to see his feet. Could

went so far as to have a stage built using gray floor-

the guy sitting in the last row of a stadium see

ing to further avoid any chances of blending.

what Michael could do with his feet? What good are white socks if ya can’t see those either? How

White socks weren’t enough, though. Michael needed his to be special. His ribbed tube socks

could Michael fully take advantage of the light

had to be functional avd fun. They themselves

he needed to show off his goods? And when you

needed to be entertaining. The original rhine-

are keeping a mind-blowing move, like the moon-

stone socks he wore for his premiere of the moon-

walk, in your back pocket, how do you prepare to

walk from the Motown 25 anniversary special

world premiere it? Raise your pants.

Opposite: In his honor, we bronzed Michael’ famous “dancing feet,” which stand in my studio.

57

MAKING

\ X Ye used

store-bought,

white

athletic

THE

socks

BILLIE JEAN SOCK

that we

cut down the center back so each sock could lay flat. Following the ribs of the sock, each square, aurora borealis, unfoiled crystal rhinestone received four hand-stitches in each corner to hold it secure. After the ribs were iced, we turned the

sock inside out and sewed it back together. The last step entailed turning the sock right side out and sewing a piece of elastic around its top hem so it would hold to Michael’s ankle and not collapse beneath the weight.

FROM FLOODS MAGIC PANTS Reminiscent

TO 501s—

of a dapper gentleman

from the

1940s, Michael’s hat and short pants became a symbol of the performer, as well as an embodiment of “Billie Jean” after he unleashed the moonwalk in 1983. Michael’s wisdom was in knowing that the

big picture was all about small details. The moonwalk would be big, but it wouldn’t have been aweinspiring if Michael’s hem had covered his shoes. The details didn’t stop there. The Billie Jean fedora paved the way for many hats to come, including the iconic white Smooth Criminal hat. Hats were functional and fun: They made Michael taller by several inches, were a terrific dance prop,

and completed the dapper look he wore when he wasn't dressing military. As Michael’s crowds grew bigger, his pants hem

got shorter. When we became Michael’s exclusive designers, we lined his Billie Jean pants—the

classic two-box pleated cotton pants—with extra material in his pockets. As he danced, Michael would slide his hands into his pockets and lift

the material from the inside to raise his pant legs, leading the audience’s eye to where he wanted it to look—most likely, his depth-defying footwork. By sewing extra lining where there would normally be none, we helped Michael achieve the ability to make his clothes perform without people seeing him touch them. His clothes could move, bounce,

act, perform ... without flipping a switch.

Top: 114 inches ofblack thread stitched at the back of Michaels hat created a sleek silhouette that kept the brim in position while Michael

Another illusion we created was in Michael’s height. He was five feet ten inches, but we cre-

danced. Center: Placing a piece of

ated a line that was larger than life. The longest

14-inch wide spandex inside Michael’

inseam transformed rigid jeans into

line on the body is from the waist to the floor, and to make Michael’s leg look even longer, we added

one-of-a-kind dance pants. Bottom: A removable piece ofhologram fabric was all it took to create two looks in one. The black Velcro stripe created the

a thin stripe, starting at the waist and ending way

illusion oftuxedo pants.

the majority of height lies in the leg, so in order

59

Above: The unexpected Dirty Diana ensemble.

down at the bottom of Michael’s hem. This worked

really did. So, the original shirt Michael wore in

wonders as the stripe caught the light while Michael

the “Dirty Diana” short film was literally the shirt

walked and danced in a profile across the stage.

off my back.

The magic created by illusion was also how the

The shirt became a signature of the song, which

China silk look came about. It was during the “Dirty

meant wed have to continue the look on tour.

Diana” short film shoot. Michael was supposed to

French voile is a delicate and transparent mate-

wear a black leather jacket for that short film. He

rial that wouldn’t be tour friendly, so I had to find

put it on and he stopped. “Wait a minute,” he said.

a more durable fabric that looked similar. China

“T have floor fans blowing like crazy all over me. This

silk became the alternative of choice because it was

jacket isn’t right for that kind of wind. The jacket’s

fluid like French voile but could stand being packed

gotta come off to get the right action.”

and cleaned.

I saw him fighting the jacket as he danced. The

Instead of waving a magic wand, Michael used

wind in his face just didn’t seem to make sense. The

his hands and his feet. Dancing fiercely, he used

jacket wasn’t performing around him. During a

them like props, extending his average-sized 120-

break, we went back to Michael’s trailer, and he said

pound frame with every dramatic movement, fur-

to me, “Bush, your shirt is winking at me.” He didn’t need to say more. I took off the

When you watched him dance, it was a pretty safe

white shirt, hand-made for me by Dennis, and

bet that your eyes were being led in one or two

Michael put it on, looking pleased and relieved

places: to a hand catching light around him or to

as he stood in the full-length mirror. During the

his feet.

thering the illusion that he was larger than life.

next take, Michael let the floor fans do their job

Our job as his designers was to assist him in

while the French voile did its own thing. Its dra-

making his perfect magic happen by paying atten-

matic energy danced behind Michael’s body and

tion to things that were important to him, like

became an extension of it, creating an illusion that

catching light and creating illusions of a larger

his physical presence took up more space than it

physique. Instead of wands, though, we'd wave our

61

Opposite: Michael wore many hats. (Top to bottom) Michael’ first

television appearance performing as a twelve-year-old with the Jackson 5 on The Ed Sullivan Show in December 1969; Thriller mask; chrome tour helmet; white Smooth Criminal fedora; blue turban worn as a personal disguise for public outings; black Billie Jean hat.

needle and thread—and sometimes a hacksaw and blowtorch if that’s what the costume required. Michael was able to move the way he could move in part because the clothes were uniquely

accommodating. His shoulder pads didn’t hit him in the face when he danced, and his jeans didn’t twist up around his knees. When added together,

these

types

of small

details

helped

Michael

achieve a natural and flawless. performance. His moves were all his own magic, but making sure his clothes could keep up was essential.

Another staple of Michael’s was a pair of black Levi’s 501s. Wearing them, he could appear relatable to his fans—“I wear Levi's, too,” he imagined

a fan would say, only to gape in awe over a high

leg kick and wonder, “Why don’t mine do that?” Only a handful of us knew the secret that Michael had spent thousands to have Dennis and me rig his 501s.

BECOMING ONE FINGER TALLER Michael was always pointing. He had such long

fingers that we called them “E.T. fingers.” He used them as he danced in a mirror (as dancers do) on

a portable floor that traveled with him, studying how he could look the tallest, the leanest—statuesque and slimming.

Half of Michael’s dance steps took place in his

hands. Because the glove didn’t fit the theme of Above: The original Dirty Diana jacket that was never used. Below: For most celebrities, an

autographed 8 x 10 glossy ofthemselves would do the trick, but Michael’ autographed black fedora hat.

gift to his fans was an

“Smooth Criminal,” Michael needed to develop

another device to help navigate the audience’s eyes to the line he formed over his head and across his body with his hands as he danced. In early 1987, when Michael shot the “Smooth Criminal” short film, we decided to put white tape on his fingers to draw more light. Michael loved this idea, because while we were making it functional, e was adding a little fun.

The Mickey to his Rocky, I taped his fingers up. As I began work on the fourth finger, Michael

stopped me. “That’s too much. That’s too ordinary.”

So just the pointer, ring, and pinkie fingers would be covered in white tape. That was strange, odd. Michael loved people asking “Why?” And

“Why those three fingers?”

Far left: Me on location

shooting the “Black or White”

short film at Vasquez Rocks in Los Angeles in 1992, chasing

Michael with a roll of surgical tape to keep his fingers pristine.

Left: Even though he didnt perform in these black patent leather pants at the American Music Awards or when he wore

them on The Arsenio Hall Show in 1989, spandex was hidden in the inseams.. . just in case.

Then, as Michael danced, he would uncon-

always pulled across his chest to make him look

sciously touch his un-taped thumb and middle

broader. Two shoulder pads were stacked on either

finger together, and the world asked, “Why does

side to further widen him. Then, the way he'd pull

he do that? Is it a signal? What does it mean?”

his arm across himself when he danced brought

Michael

your eye up. Adda

appreciated

his fans’ propensities

to

glove or tape to catch the light—

question, notice, and search for meaning in the

a hat even—and Michael grew instantly. You would

things he did. When they wondered about the

never know he was five feet ten inches tall.

finger tape, he didn’t want them to be let down by

Jackets were always short to the waist to meet

a reason as mundane as making better use oflight

at the top of his form-fitting pants, which were

or giving the illusion of taller and broader appearance. However, what we discovered over the years

as body-hugging as tights, even when they were Levi's 501s. Beneath the commanding strength of

of dressing Michael is that when you don’t address

an overly iced military jacket hid another Michael

a fashion question head on, people will find a rea-

paradox:

son—any reason—to explain it. So urban legend

middle of the neckline. It was a message of rebel-

became that Michael bit his fingernails, and the

lion beneath a jacket that sent a message of control.

tape was meant to prevent him from partaking in

Taking scissors to his T-shirt added that street edge

the imaginary habit. Michael loved the idea that

Michael was always going for. It was a little detail

he could make people question, notice, and search

that played a big role in the extravagant magic act.

a white

T-shirt, always ripped in the

He wanted the message to be: “This is the ordinary

for meaning.

part of me.”

Making Michael taller and broader was a big

part of his magic act—the illusion that his physi-

The size of the tear depended on Michael’s mood

cal presence was even more majestic and grand. To

that day. He'd take a pair of scissors himself and cut.

accomplish this, we used hard lines made with hard

Some days it would be a little cut, and others he'd rip

material. Enter the jacket. The lines of the jacket

it all the way down. “Girls want to see some cake,’

63

ae ee anee

Previous pages: Michael rehearsing

with his cast for the “Smooth Criminal” number on the Dangerous Tour, 1992.

he'd explain. Cake was his nickname for chest. Or on

Life magazine, Michael wore a hot pink sock and a

other days, he'd get too carried away and tell me, “I

yellow sock. The world went berserk.

need another shirt because this one is too ripped.”

Above left: In 1990, Michael was

When I dressed him, I knew to bring six to

presented with the Entertainer of

eight Nordstrom brand T-shirts because I never

the Decade Award by President

H.W. Bush. Above right: Amid the wreckage on the set of “Earth Song,” I wait my turn to attend to Michael’

wardrobe in 1995.

Opposite: A personal jacket made for Michael in 1995, this burgundy wool hussars jacket took about twelve hours to ice with gold buillion.

could predict where the rip would wind up. I bought them by the pack for twenty dollars. They

“Who dresses this man?” “Yeah, that would be me.” Rather than preen,

I squirmed.

And Michael loved to see me squirm. He thought it was hilarious.

worked best because they were thicker, tapered, and

So while the fans are relating to a guy because

tucked in neatly with no slack, fitting like a spandex

he has stained and ripped clothes, Michael is loy-

bodysuit to show off his waist when he danced.

ing the whole nonverbal communication going

Michael accomplished the same rebellious para-

on: “Who cares what I have on? Why do my

dox by staining his clothes. The first time he did it,

socks have to match? Who ever said they have to

I couldn't believe my eyes. He just stood there in

match?” To which his fans responded: “Maybe

his dressing room, scooped up some of his makeup

he is one of us, but no, he can’t be because he’s

with his finger, looked at me defiantly, and wiped it

Michael Jackson . . . but like me, he’s dirty, he’s

on his shoulder.

ripped... but he isn’t like me, his Levi’s are perfect

You cant be dirty. Youre Michael Jackson.

... light follows him everywhere... but look at his

Exactly.

shoes... he is like me.”

For a designer and dresser, you would think that

This head game of push-pull enhanced the

would be the ultimate horror, but then Michael

illusion even further. It worked like magic. And

went on to mismatch his clothes, and I just got used

once the magic worked, it became all about the

to it. For a photo shoot at the Ranch in 1993 for

chase. ~7>

—— CHAPTER

FOUR

CHASING THE MAGIC

—Co

CC

Wf you take one of my jackets and hang it around

"PES

VERE

the room with fifty other jackets, how would you know

it’s mine?” This time Michael hadn’t called on the phone to propose his riddle of the day. It was a weekday in 1988, and he asked this simple yet loaded question to Dennis and me, while marveling at the workshop

we had built beneath our home. It was rare to have Michael over, as we usually met him wherever he was—the Ranch,

the studio, on set, on tour. But I think Michael,

once in a while,

liked to see where our contribution

to

his magic was made: in a modest 60 x 40 room tiled and plastered in the spirit of Tuscany.

I call the room an “organized disorganized”—a mesh of textiles

MADE

YA LOOK

and tools. Nine industrial sewing/stitching machines, two stud

Two and a half inches wide and eighteen inches long, the color

machines, a high-compression iron, and a beading rack for apply-

of the armband always changed. The world stopped to see what

ing rhinestones surrounded the room. Thanks to double glass

color the armband was and what the fabric was made of. There

doors, we get useful natural light but also installed daylight flo-

was even a time when Nancy Grace, the legal commentator on

rescent lights because we usually worked round the clock to get

HLN, spent prime-time national news hours trying to figure out

Michael’s clothes finished. Adjacent to Dennis’s sketch table is

what it meant. Michael was playing P. T. Barnum again, manip-

a commercial cutting table about twelve feet long. With a good

ulating the press and teasing his fans with more “What does it

_ imagination, standing in our creative space, you might be cata-

mean?” and “Why did he change it?” It looked too important

pulted to the workshop in which Geppetto built Pinocchio. And

to zot mean anything. Regardless of what it came to mean, the

I think that suited the Michael paradox.

armband started as the solution to ensuring Michael could be

Dennis and I thought about Michael’s concern that his clothes

identified with just one glimpse of his sleeve.

weren't signature enough. Anyone else who walked around with

Coming up with the armband was an improvisation. Michael’s

dinnerware on their jacket might assume people would recognize them. By now we were in Michael’s head, though, so we

us to not overthink, just do. He tapped the limitless “play” aspect

knew that it was a progression with Michael. Nothing could stay

of our minds.

the same for very long. We always needed to add something that could stand out and, at the same time, make people ask, “Why?” So we added an armband.

Page 68: “Thriller” live, 1988. Opposite: Me chasing “The Magic” in 1987.

riddles forced us to create instantly without thought. He taught

Even his best friend Elizabeth Taylor knew this about him,

loved Michael desperately for it, and did everything in her power

to copy him. In 1995, Michael was to escort Elizabeth down the

aisle at her wedding, which would be held outside on the grounds of the Ranch. I was tailoring Michael's Levi's to death, because that’s what he wanted to wear to the wedding. When I arrived at the Ranch the week before Liz was to marry Larry Fortensky, Michael was in the

middle of a call. “Here, Elizabeth wants to talk to you,” Michael

said, handing me the phone without warning. It wasn't the first time he'd done this to me, and I

knew it wouldn’t be the last.

I no sooner said hello than she demanded, “What's he going to wear to my wedding?” She rarely said hello when I spoke with her on the phone, and over the years I had come to expect

her playful interrogations. I guessed Michael knew

Top: Michael and Elizabeth Taylor at the American Music Awards in 1993. Above: Michael wore the C-T-E shirt to welcome President Jimmy Carter to Neverland in 1993. Right: A classic example of how a simple armband customizes a dapper suit. Michael did a rare live performance of “Dangerous” in 2002 at American Bandstand’s 50th Anniversary Celebration wearing his favorite color, red, beneath a one-button jacket.

THE LETTER

LOTTERY

what information Elizabeth was trying to pry out of me, because when I looked frantically to him for guidance, he was cutting the air with his arms like

ichael’s desire to stand out was accompanied by savvy.

scissors, mouthing, “Don’t tell her. Don’t tell her.”

He knew marketing and storytelling and performance

Elizabeth said, “He’s telling you not to tell me,

better than anyone, and those skills told him that once a

isn’t he?”

mystery is no longer a mystery, people lose interest. To stay

“Yes, Elizabeth.” And then she really caught me

relevant, it is critical to remain a question mark. So, part of our

off guard. “Ts he going to wear a sword to my wedding?”

responsibility was to keep adding fuel to the fire—extend the mystery by introducing new reasons for people to ask “Why?”

She knew whatever it was going to be, Michael’s

and inventing new tests to see if anyone would notice.

outfit would be over the top. I couldn’t get a word

In the early 90s, we created some new shirts for Michael,

a la the China silk phase we had entered thanks to “Dirty

in edgewise, and then... “You tell that little bastard not to wear a sword

Diana,’ and upon showing him the first one, Michael said,

to my wedding.”

“That’s a really good shirt.” But then he just pointed to the

They were words fit for a sailor, but I had

top of his shoulder, like he was dusting Jiminy Cricket off his

become accustomed to Elizabeth’s trash talk. She

epaulet, an ornamental shoulder piece. He didn’t say anything

loved vulgarities, and she worked

more. I knew it meant we needed to put something there.

them pretty

well.

Something was missing. Dennis and I started with the old

When

I hung up the phone,

Michael

reliable—a crest—but then our gut said stop. Then Michael

was

suggested, “Put a letter up there.”

relieved that the Levi’s remained a secret.

“If she knows I’m wearing Levi's’ Michael

“What letter?” It seemed like a logical question at the time,

although looking back I should have seen Michael’s cryptic

explained, “she'll want to wear them, too.”

response coming a mile away.

So we did a Renaissance coat, circa 1400s, with

a sash across it to go with the Levi’s. But Michael

“I don’t know. Pick one.”

left the sword at home.

He wanted us to pick a letter and put it on the epaulet of

Our process was whimsical yet calculated.

his shirts. So now he'd wear an armband and a letter. We went

This paradox was one ofour favorites, as it really pushed us when it came to creating the real stand-

back to the studio and took one of Michael's fedora Billie Jean

outs among Michael’s wardrobes. To pursue the

letter: C. But that didn’t feel finished. So Dennis drew the

illusion of Michael’s mystery, we chased Michael’s

mext letter: I.

hats, threw the 26 letters of the alphabet inside. I drew one

Hmmm. C-T. Still, it didn’t feel right. Go with your gut.

magic until we reached what we thought was the

pinnacle, only to chase further and further until

So, we pulled one more letter: E.

we found ourselves doing things that other peo-

C-T-E

ple would deem unfathomable. We didn’t intend

It meant nothing. And that felt right.

it to happen. Under Michael’s tutelage, we just kept doing instead of thinking. We began as a cutter/fitter and dresser and grew into designers and then artists, until we woke

up one day and found ourselves to be innovators. Nothing illustrates this growth better than the evolution of the Thriller jacket.

The C-T-E phase made such an impact, yet it lasted only about three years.

73

THE RENAISSANCE

JACKET

D ennis and I went through history books and reproduced the Renaissance Jacket using fifteen yards of soutache over German velvet and rhinestones. It took us less than a week to make it. Michael knew that if he gave us too much time,

we might risk overthinking. He taught us that our first instinct is the best instinct.

Above: Dennis’ sketch called for a yellow silk jacket forMichael to wear to Elizabeth Taylor's wedding, but Michael wrote on the sketch

that he preferred it in “All Black.”

IT’S ALIVE!

wrapped the tape measure around Michael, he asked me, “Are you sure you can make this coat light up?” “We're gonna make it happen,’ I assured him. We didn’t have a choice. Michael didn’t comprehend “can't.” We headed home with Michael’s measurements, the original Thriller jacket made by Laurent to cut a pattern from, and our hearts in our throats. We raced through the door of our studio, and Dennis immediately began sketching. He traced the black V that went up to the shoulders and considered what would happen if the V lit up. With the concert lights turned all the way up and the black lights of the V lighting up, how would you see the red on the jacket? You wouldn't. The red would be washed away. The way to get the red to stand out is for it to catch the light, so now the red part needed to be beaded. We began beading and navigating all these unexpected layers, and it all started coming together. It was time to use the original jacket to imitate its shape and create a pattern. After the pattern, we needed a mold so we made one out of Lucite. It took three engineers to wire the jacket so it would light and one computer

The looks from “Billie Jean” and “Thriller” were

untouchable. They had become so iconic that fans would be let down if we messed with them. So, the

challenge became how to stay loyal to the silhouette, to have a jacket that is unmistakably “Thriller,”

while still creating something different from the previous incarnation.

Michael told me that his original Thriller jacket was made by Marc Laurent but that his first performance Thriller jacket for the Bad Tour was done by Bill Whitten. It had light strips on it, like the

same youd insert in a car dashboard, that made it illuminate. Which is fine, but from far away, you lose it. Plus, the material isn’t flexible—it’s rigid

and doesn’t move with the body. It was all wrong as far as functionality and flash went. So, Michael was frustrated, and I asked him, “Michael, what do

you want? Tell me what you want from this jacket.” “Bush, if my Thriller coat could light up, it

would be the ultimate.”

The challenge became how to stay loyal to the silhouette, to have a jacket that is unmistakably “Thriller,” while still creating something different from the previous

tech to keep it all working with a remote control,

staircase on the side of the house that led to the pri-

because there was no way Michael would touch his jacket to turn it on. That’s not magic; that’s flipping a switch. I punched in the holes while Dennis sewed on the beading without hitting the wires. Then we had to go back to one of the engineers so he could make sure we didn’t damage any of the wiring in the process. The final coat weighed seventeen pounds and had to include removable lining that was also flameproof.

vate entrance, the grounds were quiet. Inside the

When we finished the coat, I brought it with

incarnation. So, Dennis and I went down to the family compound on Hayvenhurst in Encino, where Michael was living at the time, to measure him. (This was

prior to the patterns we came to depend on for accuracy of fit.) Walking up the spiral wrought-iron

room was where all of his magic happened. Manne-

us to Pensacola, Florida, where Michael was hold-

quins of all sizes were in every corner except the one

ing his dress rehearsals before going out on the sec-

where Bubbles’s crate sat. Rows of awards rested on

ond leg of the Bad Tour—the series of American

white-wall shelves, and on the floor in the center of

indoor shows. He didn’t try it on in the dressing room, so the first time we saw it work was when he was on stage in the middle of the act. The special effects manager hit the remote, and Michael stood statuesque with his hands above his head as he lighted up. “Hurt me!” he exclaimed, which, in

the room, a Lucite box encased two-foot-tall stat-

ues of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs that were

filed so accurately in a single line, you could hear their whistling.

It was the first full jacket we were making for him, and we needed to get the measurements right. As I

Michael’s language, meant he was elated. Opposite: (Top) The Thriller-jacket by Marc Laurent, circa 1983. In 2011, Juliens Auctions in Beverly Hills sold this jacket for $1.8 million. (Bottom) The Thriller jacket by Bill Whitten for the Bad Tour, 1987.

76

“It took three engineers to wire the jacket so it would light and one computer tech to keep it all working with a remote control,

because there was no way Michael would touch his jacket to turn it on. That’s not magic; that’s flipping a switch.”

Above: The wire “guts” of the Thriller jacket. Wires were ubiquitous, even lining both sleeves.

During the second consecutive rehearsal that

That kindness was so typical of the Michael Jack-

day, Michael wanted to be able to see a full view of

son we knew.

the coat light up, so we rolled a dance mirror onto

Each night of the Bad Tour, Michael raised his

the stage. Seeing the spectacle the way the audi-

arms in a V before an average of 50,000 fans wear-

accompanied

ing a Thriller jacket that instantly lighted up like

another round of “Hurt me! Hurt me!” To him,

Vegas. The crowd went ballistic, and Michael was

this was the ultimate show coat ofhis life.

in ecstasy. The musical director knew not to cue

ence would, Michael’s fist pump

When we got back home from tour, we handed

the next song until the cheers died down, and that

Michael back his original Laurent jacket, but he

would happen oly when Michael started mov-

looked confused.

ing again. But Michael just stood there, taking it

“Didn't you have to cut it up?” he asked.

in, milking it, allowing the screams and cries and

“No, Michael. That’s what we do.”

applause to sink in. That reaction, that effect, is

He was astonished that we could accomplish

what Michael lived for.

such a feat while not destroying the first jacket in the

C The Entertainer.

process. We were in disbelief that he would have sac-

The problem is this: When you do the unprec-

rificed such a special piece in the name of invention.

edented, something that embodies the magic and

“You did that for me?” Michael was humbled,

mystery that you have worked your entire life to

but it was impossible for him to be the only recip-

create and sustain, how do you top that? Does the

Thriller jacket was the first one we

ient in a room. So he took the Laurent jacket,

chase ever end?

created for Michael in 1988. Below: Michael performs “Thriller”

autographed it, and gave it to Dennis and me.

Winds up, we were just getting started. ~~

81

Opposite: Trial by fire, this electrical

live in the light-up jacket.

EVOLUTION

OF A THRILLER

2ew ) cee ee

ES REESE

Left: The six lives of Thriller. (From rear)

Marc Laurent, Bill Whitten Bad Tour, the ‘light-up” jacket, Dangerous, HIStory, and the 2001 Madison Square Garden show.

1992: For the Dangerous Tour, this leather jacket was painted with reflective paint to glow in the dark as Michael danced under black lights.

k 1996: We continued the luminescent theme on the HIStory Tour, using reflective material donated by the FDNY that we also used for the Motown Medley and Heal the World jackets.

2001: This never-before-seen Thriller jacket was made in all black at the request ofMichael for his 30th Anniversary Show at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Due to the length of the show, the number was cut, causing this piece to retreat into the shadows of our archives.

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clothes twice in public, with the exception

pieces and a jacket we made for him in 1992. Edgy, original,

detail was

right about this jacket.

Michael was

broke, Dennis

While the press speculated

and I knew

and covered

of a few performance

in shiny fluid metal, every

that double-dipping

the truth. Even though he had already worn

a few months earlier, Michael insisted on wearing

L&

this coat during his performance

into his wardrobe

meant

it to a less public event at the inauguration

ball

of Bill Clinton on January 20, 1993.

To ensure I gave Michael enough to pull from, I had come to

commanded, “Look here. The show has just begun.” That’s

the Madison Hotel in D.C. two days before the event with my

exactly what happened with the Clinton Coat.

usual arsenal of wardrobe choices. But Michael also brought his

Five leather strappings on either side of the zipper were

own suitcase, so when he held up a black leather studded jacket

coated

and told me, “This is what I am wearing,” it became a metric

Michael danced, the straps danced. Faceted studs on the leather

by which Dennis and I would measure the caliber of all of our

gave it that dangerous look, reminiscent of spikes on the collar

future jackets’ craftsmanship, quality, and originality, which were the definitive aspects of Michael’s showmanship.

ofabulldog. And the metal picked up the light, which made it

After the seven patterns of Michael were cut, most of our

in square steel studs—thousands

of them.

When

all the more powerful. The straps hit against one another, causing the clanking sound ofa chain gang.

work was in the creation and icing ofjackets. The rest of the

Michael didn’t just wear the Clinton Coat; he manipulated

‘time we were on the chase for the next, the newest, the abso-

it. He would inhale and exhale rhythmically, alternating deep

lute best for Michael’s edification. The whole function of the

breaths with short pants to move the leather strappings in ways

jacket was to balance out the Michael Mystique—basic Levi's

that would enable light to shoot off of the studs and zigzag

and loafers made Michael seem pedestrian. But topping it with ornately iced military silhouettes provided a focal point that

down his body. Attached to the invisible strings of Michael’s

Page 84: Police badges became a definitive element of the Bad outfit. Opposite: For a special Fathers Day party, Michael’ children Prince Michael and Paris wanted this robe made for their father to wear, while the three of them spent the day together wearing plastic crowns Dennis

and I purchased for them at a toy shop. *

silent beat, the coat came alive as if he were its puppet master.

“Michael didn’t just wear the Clinton Coat; he manipulated it.”

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Zip-zip. Chew-chew. For hours at a time. Some-

times our car rides sounded like a family road trip gone bad: “Michael,”

I'd snap, “you sound like a cow

comin’ in from a barnyard.” He thought this throw back to my Appalachian country roots was hysterical. He’d laugh so I could see the wad of gum stretched between his back teeth, then say something deliberately annoying, like, “Am I bothering you?” and back he'd go to his zip-zip, chew-chew routine. But even as he egged me on, like a little brother to an older sibling, he really wasn’t bothering me, because I knew how much he was enjoying himself. Michael recognized movement as an impor-

tant part of his performance clothes early in his

career. The first jacket he wore for “Billie Jean” for the Motown 25 anniversary special in 1983— when he debuted his moonwalk—was his mother Katherine’s jacket. Such an iconic moment, and yet it was born out of an impulse Michael had to use something he saw his mother wear days before. The mesh-covered, sequined Chanel-style jacket was bought off the rack from Bullock’s department store in Sherman Oaks, California. The story goes: It was black and shiny, and Michael wanted to wear it. It was that simple. As years rolled by, the Billie Jean jacket progressed while staying almost exactly the same except

for the fabric on which sequins is sewn, which changed over the course of three decades, affecting the texture of the jacket as time went on. Kather-

ine’s jacket was mesh, as opposed to the more curAbove: After performing “Remember the Time” in a wheelchair due to a sprained ankle at the Soul Train Music Awards in 1993, Michael couldn't wait to take off the gold lamé leather strappings from his pants, which I removed promptly in the car.

SPECIAL EFFECTS

rent and popular fabric, Alex jersey, which is slinky,

The fact that his clothes could move and make sounds

but weighty. We had to really dig to find the mesh

was Michael's favorite part of wearing them. He was

fabrics of Katherine’s blazer in order to avoid the

fascinated by zippers for this reason. Everyone recog-

static materials that had come to replace mesh.

nizes the sound a zipper makes, but only one person that I know of appreciated it so much he could find

Traditionally, sequins attached to open mesh, so you could stick your fingers through, like a wig, but

entertainment value in it. Michael had an unconscious

then the fabric evolved into more solid material like

habit of fiddling with his zipper. Most times he would

acetate. The open weave of the mesh bounced bet-

sit in the back of the car and pull it up and down, mak-

ter, and since Michael flipped that jacket a lot, he’d

ing the zip-zip sound, alternating it like a DJ scratch-

ing a record. Listening to it for an entire car ride, along

expect the sequins to flip back and catch the light as they had with Katherine’s jacket. If the jacket didn’t

with his cracking of the four pieces of Bazooka bubble

have the proper body when Michael flipped it, the

gum hed pop in his mouth and chew at one time,

result was flat. To which Michael would complain,

could be enough to drive you crazy.

“That isn’t magic.”

90

_

“What's wrong with my coat?” Michael asked during one of the first dress rehearsals I attended in between legs of the Bad Tour. He looked at me as if he had climbed aboard a new ride at Disneyland right before it broke down.

“It’s not open weave fabric,’ I explained, pointing to the Alex jersey jacket he was wearing. “But

Pll make one for you that is.” The same thing happened a few times with

Left: Denniss twenty-five-cent

his tie. Michael would spin and want the tie to

rotation remedy. Below: The Billie Jean jacket through history. (Counterclockwise from front)

whip around like a helicopter blade behind him.

Bad Tour (Bill Whitten), Dangerous (1992), MSG 30th Anniversary/cover of Vibe magazine (2001 and 2002, repectively), HIStory (1996).

Instead the tie would hit him. Which is why he

stopped the shoot of the “Smooth Criminal”

short film in 1987. “When I spin,” he told me, “I want my tie to be over there,’ and he pointed pre-

cisely to where he wanted the tie on the opposite side of his body. If the clothes didn’t move, they

werent functioning, so at Dennis's suggestion I

sewed a quarter inside the tie to weigh it down. In less than five minutes and for the bargain price of twenty-five

cents,

Michael’s

tie went

from staid to blade. As long as Michael’s clothes were working for him, he was happy, but when he was done with

them, it was like a bad breakup. He was extremely hard on them. And, because he never had any attachment to his clothes, Michael was very giving

of them. He became known for handing over his jackets and hats to fans. In 1985, shortly after I joined Michael’s camp, he and I were in an elevator with a doting fan, who gushed, “I love your

jacket, Michael.” It was a black British hussars jacket, one of the very first jackets we had done for him. From design to construction,

it had taken us three

weeks to make. And just like that Michael took it off, handed it to the fan, and said, “Here you

go.’ I was in disbelief. What if Michael wanted a similar jacket? How would Dennis and I remember what we had already used for icing or what worked and what didn’t? We'd have to catalogue our pieces and take pictures of them all if Michael

was going to walk around town bestowing his garments upon anyone who so much as did a double take of them.

91

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any

These pages: After we began to photograph all of our creations for Michael, we made sure to capture details like the ones on this hussar, which is a re-creation of the jacket he gave away to an adoring fan in an elevator.

JUST BEAD IT Sound,

movement,

light, and edge were

during the first leg of the Bad Tour, which prompted ever-

“rebellion” like the original Beat It jacket. Made by

The red snakeskin version of the Beat It jacket, also designed by Bill Whitten, that was used at the

Marc Laurent for the short film in 1982, the Beat

beginning of the tour had lots of texture and depth,

It jacket became one of the most mass-reproduced

tive under his arms. Michael's “Beat It” choreography

and it photographed well but couldn’t perform with Michael. It literally broke down during the tour. Stitches popped, and hems and zippers blew. When we were hired during the first leg of Bad, our fix was to add gussets to the sleeves, basically adding extra fabric to allow the room for his arms to pull without looking like he was trying to tear himself out of a straightjacket. By adding gussets, we turned it into a dancer’s jacket. And after that, Dennis and I took over Whitten’s job permanently. When we took over the jacket in 1989, six years after the original, we made our tweaks by simply observing Michael perform in it, so we could gauge what his needs were and how his body moved. “Beat It” was one of the most volatile and physical live acts Michael performed. We knew he needed the fabric to be light but incredibly sturdy, so he could throw the coat around. During the show, Michael would stomp on it, walk on it, have a temper tantrum with it. The zipper would fall off, the plastic teeth would go missing, and I'd repair it overnight for the next

included sequences of arm flapping, emulating the

show. So while we had the fit and function covered,

wings of a bird, which was impeded by the jacket’s

the real challenge became the flash. How could “Beat

sleeves. Because there wasn’t enough “give” in the

It” always look the same but be different?

seam beneath his arms, Michael’s shoulder pads

The fix: Change nothing but the fabric. For instance, for the Dangerous Tour we made a Beat It jacket out of authentic red fish skin with rhinestones on the shoulders. When you pull the fish scales from an actual fish, it creates a ripped leather look—beaten and edgy, worn but still glamorous. Because it looked textured, it photographed very well and was lighter than the beaded and leather

present in Michael's wardrobe, but nothing says

pieces of all time. Kids wore it waiting for the bus to school, teenage boys draped it over their girlfriends’

shoulders at the movie theater, and it showed up in

college bars and clubs around the world. The original Beat It coat not only captured the essence of the gang in the short film, but embodied all the things

important to Michael: It was leather, so instantly it was “street”; it was red, Michael’s favorite color, and it was guaranteed to get the viewer's attention; it

had zippers and chain mail mesh on the shoulders, which together made sound and caught the light; it was military, which enhanced his frame and had the

aura of control and authority. But one thing was missing: Michael had trouble dancing in it. During the Victory Tour, the first tour on which

Michael performed “Beat It” live, he wore a solid bugle-beaded version of the jacket designed by Bill Whitten. It was too heavy to dance in and restric-

Below: A gusset is a piece offabric added in a seam beneath the arm to add breadth. In order to help Michael move better in his jackets, we added gussets. Here the biege paper pattern pieces represent Michael’ performance sleeve, while the white overlay pattern

represents his casual sleeve. Opposite: The original Beat It jacket.

Michael to hire Dennis and me.

would hit his face, and the jacket would appear stiff

and lift sloppily from the waistline. This restriction

in the sleeves of Michael’s pieces became an issue

versions.

Of the eight Beat It coats in existence, Michael’s

favorite was the one we made for him for the HIStory Tour. It was made of neoprene—a type of plastic. It looked like Tinker Bell had slung iridescent glitter on top of the plastic. On the shoulders, in place of the rhinestones from the previous version, we placed hologram squares of plastic that looked like the mirror squares from a disco ball. This gave the magical look of the glass rhinestones

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THE BEAT

1988: Bad Tour, red snakeskin

IT JACKET

1996: HIStory Tour, red neoprene

2001: 30th Anniversary, black snakeskin

bulk. Tinker Bell’s Beat It jacket was eye-catching,

PERCEPTION PERFECTION

multicolored, and had a life of its own but was vir-

Michael Jackson didn’t make music videos; he

tually weightless. As Michael got older, the weight

made short films. Music videos cost thousands to

and achieved the stage presence, but without all the

OF

of clothes became a concern. After two plus hours

produce, but films cost millions. “Movies tell sto-

of live singing and dancing, Michael's costumes

ries,’ Michael would say. “Music videos are like the

had to get progressively lighter as the show went

news.” This was the marketing side of Michael, the

on. “Beat It” was always performed in the middle

same part of the man that taught us to immerse

of the show. You couldn’t put a five-pound jacket

ourselves in magazines and analyze advertisements.

on a man who had lost up to five pounds of water

Michael understood

weight by that point and expect him to have a gang

Manipulate words and the meaning changes. If you

the power of perception:

call something a video, it doesn’t carry the same

fight on stage.

weight as when you say short film.

We didn’t know where we would take the “Beat

show at Madison Square Garden, he called me on

Michael felt similarly about his clothing. Only he could take an ordinary Levi denim jacket and turn it into an “ice coat.” We set our sights on the

the phone one night in August, a month before we

fashion classic: a Levi jacket broad at the shoulder,

were heading to New York City for two shows—

short to the waist, with two front pockets, and a

September 7 and 10. He had decided to perform

V point on the front. It provided the perfect base-

the opening song in all white and do the rest ofthe

line for a Michael jacket—something ordinary that

show wearing all black.

could be transformed into spectacular.

It” jacket after the HIStory Tour, but in 2001, when

Michael was preparing for his 30th Anniversary

His instructions were to the point: “Make my

Originally, we made a jacket with white can-

vas from a pattern cut from the Levi's denim jacket

Beat It coat black.”

and iced it with punched rhinestones. The metal of

Michael understood the power of perception: Manipulate words and the meaning changes.

the six-pronged rim sets was heavy and too bulky

that’s just when Michael let me know Id fallen for

to achieve that “solid” look that Michael replicated by pushing pennies together till they touched. The weight of the jacket caused the elbows to crease, and the tension flattened the fabric, making it stiff, like the first metal coat Dennis did for Michael that we ultimately dumped. The other problem was that the prongs went through the clothes, and if they are not set right, they can prick the skin, like a needle. They also rust if they get wet, so they’re impossible to clean. Historically, rhinestones were punched on because the process was more cost-effective. The only other alternative is to hand-sew the crystal, which would avoid the bulk caused by the metal rim sets and allow the crystal to touch—solid, just like the pennies. When Michael tried on the punched rhinestone jacket, he hated it. He took it off and handed it back to me, saying, “Now make me a real one.” By real one, Michael meant the hand-sewn kind. Thousands of crystal rhinestones would be needed to cover an entire jacket, requiring me to go to dozens of different sources to purchase them.

one of his ruses yet again. “Ah ha, gotcha!”

No retailer or wholesaler in the world stocked that

You can't make the Beat It coat black. Singer, dancer, and mind reader, too. “It will upset the fans,’ he explained. “Let’s see if they

notice. If they’re paying attention.” On September 7, 2001, Michael performed

“Beat It” at Madison Square Garden wearing a black snakeskin Beat It jacket. On the shoulders, we replaced the fairy dust with the fuzzy side

of Velcro, which had a good texture to it and wreaked rebellion. In the middle of the show, part of the act included me coming out on stage while Michael was singing to change him into the Beat

It coat. As I was putting the black snakeskin coat on him, Michael uttered out of the corner of his

mouth, “Bush, this is supposed to be red.”

I was horrified, and my face showed it. And

98

many rhinestones at one time. I had a little less than

one on bottom), that equals 18,000 hand stitches.

four weeks to make the jacket, of course, and ulti-

Michael was anxious to see it. He called constantly,

mately bought up everything from LA to New York

and just like the zip-zip, chew-chew little bro driving

but still had to go straight to the source—Austria,

me nuts from the car’s backseat, his version of “Are

where they produce rhinestones—to cut the stones

we there yet, are we there yet?” translated to him

and send them direct.

singing a song on my answering machine called,

“Where’s my coat, where’s my coat?”

This time, for the “real” jacket, we wouldn’t

be setting the crystal in rim sets. Instead, we'd sew

I learned so much from Michael, and I didn’t

them directly to the fabric. Sewing crystal is one

hesitate to turn the tables on him. “Michael; I said,

of the most tedious art forms, so no wonder it’s a

“youre the one who taught me: Don’t show your

lost art. We sewed 9,000 crystal rhinestones onto

artwork before it’s ready.”

We worked on that jacket around the clock,

that jacket with our bare hands in twenty-one days.

With two stitches per rhinestone (one on top and

making sure that the fabric wouldn't

99

collapse

Above: The chevron and armband of the Ice Coat are made of vintage 1920s flat-back square topaz.

NOTHING

BAD ABOUT

IT

beneath the weight of the stones and arranging them in a way that would keep the jacket fluid— M

one stone in the middle, two on the side.

Every moment I spent with that needle and thread became worth

it when

ichael’s background in making his own show clothes was ever present in his style, particularly his jackets. The outfit he

I saw the end

donned in the “Bad” short film was store-bought off the rack in a store

product. Instead of canvas, we used white sail-

off Melrose. He just had that eye for things that could work with a lit-

cloth, a canvas

tle magic added to them. Michael was window-shopping and saw the

of lighter weight used in boat-

ing. Covered in three different sizes of lochrosen

cotton jacket and pants, went in, and bought them. He took them to

rhinestones—5 millimeters, 6 millimeters, and 7

Western Costume Company in Melrose to have the outfit enhanced

millimeters—the finished product looked like a

with buckles and straps and wore it in the “Bad” short film. Knowing

mirror. On each sleeve we used topaz lochrosen

he'd have to perform “Bad” live in concert wearing the short film outfit,

rhinestones to form the shape of a chevron—a

Michael brought us his street wear and asked us to modify it for the

military insignia indicating rank. On the right

upcoming tour, making it performance friendly, durable, cleanable, and

sleeve, we created the signature armband in topaz

fit to dance in.

gold. As the final touch, extra large rhinestones—

To make our version of “Bad,” the pieces came from four or five

one-inch in diameter—took the place of the stan-

stores off of Melrose Avenue, and we used stretch gabardine to replace

dard Levi buttons. I knew Michael was going to

the cotton. The main objective was to enable the costume to function

love it, and I couldn’t wait to get it to him.

and fit better and to turn the outfit from street wear to performance

First thing in the morning, I called the studio

wear. For some

more

“biker” essence, we severely embellished the

jacket, pants, and gloves with twice as many buckles and straps.

where he was recording. They told me to come later on at five, so I had to wait the day to see

For the 30th Anniversary Special, we made the Bad outfit in black

him. When I got there, Michael’s eyes lit up as

patent leather, but the song was cut because the show was running

I walked toward him with the Ice Coat. When

too long.

I turned it over to him, he stopped blinking. He just patted it down

and whispered like a

prayer, “Solid. The ultimate. I wish I could have

recorded in this today.” I didn’t want to rat on anyone, but I wasn’t

going to be dishonest about this either after sewing my fingers off for three weeks straight. “You could have, but I was told not to bother you

when I called this morning.” I won't say Michael was mad since that just wasn't his way, but he wasn’t exactly happy about

this either and said he’d have a word with whomever thought the jacket wasn’t important enough

to stop a recording session when it was most defi-

nitely important enough to him. In Michael’s mind, it wasn’t at all odd to stop the world for a jacket, and little could any of us know

that the world would indeed stop shortly after he wore it for his 30th Anniversary Special at Madison Square Garden on September

10, 2001. On that

night, Michael, as giving as ever, said he wanted to give the jacket to Aaron Carter, the brother of Nick Carter of the Backstreet

Boys, who

performed

Opposite: The original unenhanced Bad jacket that Michael wore

on the cover of the Bad album. Right: The first Bad jacket Dennis and I created sold at auction for $190,000 in 2009.

101

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ULUCCULCUULLE AS

eee ices

Above: For an LA Gear print ad campaign, we affixed chrome license

plates to an antique leather jacket to match the theme of the LA Gear set, which was embellished with license plates.

“I Want Candy.” The kid was young, a fan, and

an up-and-coming new star. When management balked, Michael vented to me, “They don’t understand. Fred Astaire gave me his dancing shoes, and I

want to pay it forward.” Eight years later in 2011, Aaron Carter wore

the jacket on season 9 of Dancing with the Stars.

ASSEMBLING

A LINE

When icing jackets, we found that finding uses for

things that have no business being worn as clothing was among Michael's favorite tricks. He would look at a chandelier and think nothing ofwearing it. The Dinner Jacket of forks, knives, and spoons

was also one of his favorites. Other times we would back ourselves into unusual icing options. During Michael’s chrome phase, when we did the “space” costume for “Jam” on the HIStory Tour, we were on a mission to research chrome, and that

meant going to the source. Where could we learn

about all this metal to determine what it would take to manipulate it so it can be worn? Classic car shows, of course. The showrooms were

magnificent,

and the cars themselves

were

artwork. Ford T-buckets, pre-1940s Rolls-Royces,

Cadillac V16s, Chevrolet deuce coupes stood before us emulating the prestigious history of the automo-

bile. Everything on these cars was massive in size and embellished with brass and chrome—front grilles, door handles, hood ornaments. Michael wouldn’t

wear brass because it tarnishes. Thanks to our training, though, we still walked out of these shows

informed and inspired. We took notice, in particular, of a British car club badge that had a crown on it. So the light bulb in my head went off: Make a jacket as classic, elegant, and stylish as the cars on display,

using European car club badges—and don’t forget to use the one with the crown. Michael was prepping for a press shoot for the “Remember the Time” short film when we presented this coat to him. On black leather, we had placed four badges of European car clubs, includ-

ing Real Automobile Club of Spain (RAC), Salzburg Automobile

Club, Royal Automobile

Club

of Belgium, and Kongelig Norsk Automobilklub,

all of which boasted crowns. We wanted to try something different in an effort to push the seven

Left: A detail from the Berlin Coat. Below: Michael in the Berlin Coat.

Above left: The “strobe light” jacket. Above right: The money coats. (Left) British pounds. (Right) Dollars.

patterns of Michael a bit, so we didn’t apply a zipper

made an ascending whistling sound like a firework

up the front. Michael didn’t like the idea of wearing

before the thirty-four bulbs fired in a light spectacle

coats that didn’t close, even if he knew he wouldn't

all their own. But a doctor told us that the intensity

be closing them.

of the lights would put a person with epilepsy into

He wouldn’t even try on the coat.

a fit, so he never used it.

It wasn’t the first time a stop was put on one of

But after a little coaxing and a gentle reminder

that we would never bring him anything we didn’t

Michael's ideas. We were at the Grammys in New

think would work, he trusted us enough to put

York City in 1988, and Michael was horrified by

it on and leave it on, begrudgingly, for the shoot.

a news story about teenagers who were attacking

After the photos were finished, he took a look at

other kids in Central Park for their sneakers. Always

the final package—hair, makeup, lighting, pose,

interested in human behavior, Michael aked me to

jacket—and absolutely loved it. “You were right,”

watch the rerun of the story with him and wanted

he told us. And it became one of the most used

my take. “Bush, you gotta watch this,’ he said,

publicity shots by Sony of Michael in one of our

turning up the television in his hotel room at the

jackets, eventually dubbed the Berlin Coat for no

Helmsley Palace, his favorite place to stay in New

particular reason that I know of.

York. The hotel was secure and had an elevator that

took him directly from the car up to the penthouse.

GONE

TOO

FAR

Michael had ideas all right, and some

“Why do you think these kids are doing this? Is it

the style of the shoe or the cost of the shoe?”

of them

were considered so risqué that he would never get

I knew this wasn’t an invitation to enter a debate

the chance to wear them. One such idea was born

or a philosophical exploration of teen culture in the

in 1992, during the height of Michael’s fame. His

Big Apple. Michael’s questions were usually rhetori-

privacy, his ability to walk into a record store, or

cal and had tremendous follow up.

even sit in the back of a parked car was a distant

“Make me a coat out of money. ...” he said in

memory, and Michael wanted us to make a coat

a whisper, letting the word linger mysteriously in

that could deflect the paparazzi. If he could flash

mid-air, as if it were his most daring idea yet.

a bulb at their bulbs, their pictures would over-

expose. The fix: Create a black leather coat with

Dennis took seventy-nine $100 bills and folded each one in origami shapes and made a motorcy-

thirty-four strobe lights on it.

cle jacket with them, stitching around each dollar bill in black thread to hold it in place and coat-

Of course, in order to preserve the illusion of

magic, Michael wouldn’t touch his clothes to make

ing the money between two layers of clear plastic.

them work, so his security guard would have to fire

Michael was pleased with it but thought it could be

off the coat via remote control, which wasawhole

improved. “Wow!” he said. “We're going to Eng-

other concern. When the coat activated, the bulbs

land soon. Make me one out of British pounds.”

104

We were

excited about that one since (1)

both versions of the Money Coat were billboards—

pounds came in a variety of colors, and (2) the

to drive home a point—about the true meaning of

dollar was worth more than the pound. So visu-

money. But even we learned that sometimes a good

ally Dennis had a field day arranging the bills, and

fashion idea is not the best fashion idea.

the conversion rate made this piece a bit more economical to produce. One of Michael’s advisors convinced him that

Living with intention and meaning was what motivated

Michael.

Through

the

convictions

Michael wrote and sang about, he inspired genera-

it was not a good idea to have him walking around

tions to seek a similar higher state of being. And

covered in money. When Michael first thought of

when he took his show on the road, the exchange of

the concept, though, it wasn’t for fashion’s sake or

energy between Michael and his fans built a tight-

even for the chase. Now in the Michael archives,

knit , socially conscious community. ~~

Left: The Mandela Jacket.

ce ea

A SALUTE

TO SOUTACHE

ne of the most embellished jackets we ever did for Michael Oe

one he wore on the cover of TV Guide, shortly after

his marriage to Lisa Marie Presley. It was a promotional cover

for a 20/20 interview with Diane Sawyer, the first time he was publicly discussing his relationship with Lisa Marie. Two weeks before the shoot, Michael handed me a VHS

tape and said,

“You have to see this.” When Dennis and I popped the tape in, images of gypsies

riding rampant atop a donkey-pulled caravan left us bewildered. I couldn’t really tell you what the plot was because it was a foreign film with no subtitles. I looked to Dennis. “What in the hell is this?” Dennis just shook his head, and we both turned back to the TV to study the images on the screen. Okay, we got donkeys, we got a bunch of guys wearing burlap, then... there it

was. The band ofgypsies taking a pirate hostage, stripping him ofhis light blue coat covered in gold soutache before riding off, leaving the pirate and his crew enraged amid the squalor. We got the message.

“So, you want that in robin’s egg blue, Michael?” “No, Bush, I want mine in black.” Soutache is a narrow flat decorative braid. We weren't too surprised to learn that it is used customarily in the military to indicate rank. In fashion it is typically used to cover seams, but on our jacket, we used more yardage of soutache than we

ever had for any other embroidered jacket—fifteen to twenty yards of cotton and gold-threaded bullion soutache—and the most buttons. What was unique about this jacket was

the use of such a rare material—eighteen-karat gold bullion soutache. Because it is impossible to clean and expensive and

difficult to make, there isn’t much of a market for it. Most of the gold soutache purchases would be considered antique, as

it was most likely produced one hundred or more years ago. The pope’s robe is one of the only modern-day pieces still garnished in gold soutache. This jacket was also atypical because we extended the use of gold soutache on the back of the jacket, whereas Michael’s

clothes didn’t usually have icing on his back. One-hundredand-two metal ball buttons grace the front of the jacket, which

is comprised of cotton soutache. All of the hussar designs decorating the front, back, sleeves, and shoulders are outlined in

gold buillion soutache. Michael’s right burgundy armband is silk, and the piece de résistance is a gold-embroidered eagle

perched atop each sleeve.

x ® Se; “Og ®

-

lor

ee

Fae Uae CHAPTER

SIX

MASTER OF CEREMONY Ge

\ ‘ Then you walk

through the studio doors to prepare

no longer Michael Bush.

tion. If your job is hair, someone “Makeup!” And, remember

I was

shouts,

and the revolving

to film, you check your identity at the door. I was

“wardrobe.” In the business, you are summoned

“Hair,” and if your job is makeup,

like a dog to a whistle, you

by name,

To

os

LE

respond.

It’s not personal;

door of the studio

makes

by your job descrip-

then you'll hear another yell for

there are just too many

it virtually pointless

people

to

to try to remember

a

name. But working with Michael was different. By 1991, I had been with him for six years, so the time when we were

on set for the “Black or White” short film, and Michael called out “Wardrobe!”

Michael stood in front of the green screen,

leg guards sliding down

he caught himself.

his leg, with his hand over his mouth.

As I responded to the call and bent down to fix his guards, Michael

PERFECT

PERFORMER

reached for my arm, utterly mortified at the thought of being so imper-

Michael was in the first leg of his Bad Tour in 1987 when I took the

sonal and profusely apologized, saying, “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry. I

job as his dresser. There were already some wardrobe malfunctions

know your name, Bush. I didn’t mean that.” We were very close friends

with some of the Bill Whitten pieces, and I was assessing his needs on

and confidants by this point, thanks to all of the travel time that allowed

a performance-by-performance basis. I joined the show in Japan, where

us personal conversations, as well as Michael’s eagerness to share his

Michael was doing, on average, two shows every eight days. Between

feelings with me about his day-to-day activities and long-term goals.

rehearsals, shows, and traveling around Japan, the schedule could

I knew he didn’t mean it and couldn’t help but admire his humility.

become a little taxing.

It’s not every day you hear about a person of Michael's fame taking the

To say Michael was a perfectionist is an understatement. He had

focus off of himself and recognizing those who directly or indirectly

several dress rehearsals and constantly made adjustments to wardrobe,

help make his life work.

choreography, and sound along the way. He’d say to me, “I know what

“That’s okay, Michael. From now on when on set, we'll call you The

I’m doing, but you guys need to know what you're doing and be as cho-

Entertainer. ‘Is The Entertainer ready? Wardrobe to The Entertainer!”

reographed as I am.” Michael absolutely lived for performing live, and

Michael chuckled and gave me that raised eyebrow that said,

he wanted nothing to jeopardize a show. When he went live, anything

“Man, you are all right.” But I think inside he liked the idea of being

could happen; the dress rehearsal gave us an opportunity to make sure

called “The Entertainer.” After all, he was the consummate enter-

the wardrobe changes were in sync with the cadence of the show and

tainer, a master of ceremony. And nothing proved this truth better

that the clothes themselves worked. Michael knew that if my team and I

than Michael’s tours.

were even one beat behind, or if a garment was on the rack in the wrong

Page 108: Michael scored big time during his Superbowl XXVII halftime performance at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, in January 1993. Left: Michael effortlessly works day and night on the opening leg of the Bad Tour, Japan, 1987.

order, it would screw up the show out Gone wind ae

to jump up and down with the band or slide across the

when everything was timed perfectly on our end, there

floor, that’s what he did. And we'd have to react appro-

were always variables. During the performance, we'd

priately in the moment.

have to play off Michael. Even though the set was the

One such time was during the Dangerous Tour.

same, he'd change something up based on the feedback

Before Michael even reached the stage, the audience was

he was receiving from the audience.

rattling. “We're going to do the James Brown tonight,’

Michael said to me right before heading off to open the show. I hadn’t heard this one before so immediately

“Michael always claimed he ‘danced the beat,’ that ultimately he wasn't in control

I tried to figure out what he meant by this riddle and where in the show would Michael take an unexpected

once the music moved him.”

turn. Michael was in the middle of “Man in the Mirror”

when he suddenly dropped to the floor and onto his He was spontaneous when it came to responding

stomach, He was still singing but in a whimper, and he

to cheers. Different things would set off his adrenaline.

turned his head and looked toward me in the darkness

Sometimes he'd rip his shirt. Other times he’d hold a

off stage. Then he rested his head on the floor, waited

pose or throw a piece of his clothing. He might dance

a few seconds, and mouthed to me, “Twenty seconds.” Is he even okay? What's wrong? What the hell am I

longer than usual if the beat called him to do so. Or, if

supposed to do?

the audience wasn’t reacting to something he did, he'd find a way to do something over the top, like fall down

Ever the mind reader, Michael looked toward me

to the floor and pretend to faint. Michael always claimed

and held out his hand. Then it sort of clicked. James

he “danced the beat, that ultimately he wasn’t in control

Brown was known for his exhaustion bit where he would

once the music moved him. So, if the beat said for him

fall to the ground, because he danced so hard that he just couldn’t take it anymore. This must be the “James Brown”

Michael threw at me before. | guessed by his hand gesture that he wanted me out there to pull him up, so I headed out and lifted him up. “What are you doing out here? You're messin’ up my show,’ Michael whispered. I almost crapped my pants.

While Michael was giving a show to thousands of people, he was entertaining himself by embarrassing me, which, after I got over the initial horror, always made me laugh. Michael loved hearing from the audience, gauging what worked, what didn’t, what they wanted more of. It

wasn’t uncommon for Michael to do a stadium show for a crowd of 120,000, sometimes 180,000 people, absorb their energy, and let it fuel him for days on end. The problem was he couldn’t turn it off. When we weren't

doing back-to-back shows, I’d sometimes go one or two days without seeing Michael, and he'd confess, “Bush, I haven't gone to sleep yet.” Michael was a machine, and machines break down,

even though we took precautions to keep him healthy. For example, air travel was always a risk because there was a chance we could get sick: He picked up the idea to cover his mouth with a mask from the people in Asia, where it is commonly used as a germ guard. Then

Right: Dennis sketch ofMichael’ outfit for the Dangerous Tour show opener.

112

Left: Michael pulling his James Brown act. Thats me on the right. Below: Anything could happen when Michael rocked “Black or White” with Slash, who also performed on the Dangerous album.

Michael thought, Why would I wear just a plain one? Michael Jackson didn’t just wear a surgical mask; he had

to transform it into a fashion accessory. We bought a surgical mask and cut the pattern from it to make Michael's silk masks in black and solid jewel tones. After a while I think Michael felt safe behind the mask, so its function

evolved to become more of a protective shield.

We always flew commercial and sat first class or

business class. Michael had a fear offlying, and he liked to spend time chatting with his support team to take his mind off of the altitude. Sometimes he’d even walk

the aisles of the plane, back to coach, and meet and greet fellow passengers. Michael wouldn't fly private jets because his rationale was “the bigger the plane, the

less turbulence.” And a bigger plane was more comfort-

Above: As separate pieces, these disguises didn't conceal much, but when Michael covered himself in a mask, hat, and sunglasses, he felt incognito, even though he didnt come close. Below: Tying and

able and allowed him to get up and move or stretch

adjusting Michael’ belts on the set of the “Speed Demon’ short film, 1988.

around the cabin. The food, the atmosphere, the pil-

lows were different in each place we went. We had to be so careful and mindful to navigate these things, at least the ones within our control. So we'd bring his comfy pillows, make sure there was enough water for a camel,

and keep him laughing. Michael drank water by the gallon. Before Michael arrived to a hotel, accommodations would have to be

made with the staff to ensure there were five to ten cases

of Evian, depending on the length of his stay. When we were in Sweden during the Bad Tour, the staff delivered

the Evian and lined up the bottles around the edge of the bathtub because, in their mind, nobody would need that much water unless that person was going to take a bath

in it. And that’s how the rumor began that Michael only bathed in Evian water. Michael the machine had one mode. It was the same

story when Michael was recording—once he was in a

mode, there was only that mode. When he could sleep, he did so on the floor or the couch in the studio, which I tried to keep as kempt as possible, despite Michael throw-

ing his clothes all over the place. I'd check beneath the sofa cushions and behind furniture to gather up his items in the event someone was coming to visit. “I’m writing,

I’m singing, I’m recording, he'd say, when someone asked him to dinner or to come home or to attend an event. He

was a workaholic. But that’s what made him happy, and it

was obvious he was having fun at “work,’ because sometimes I would get a prank call at 3:00 a.m.

Opposite: The letterman jacket for the Bad Tour was bought off the rack, just as the jacket from the “Thriller” short film was.

115

Right: On the set of the “Scream”

short

film, I used dry cleaning fluid to dab

makeup off ofMichael’ collar,

1995.

“Do you know

who

this is?” a muffled

same. Everything I did in terms ofhandling his clothes

British

accent asked.

for the performance had to be perfect.

“Yeah, it’s you, Michael, talking through a card-

HIS OWN WORST

board paper towel roll.”

CRITIC

Click.

Back at the hotel I would help him out of his sopping

And, by the way, Michael was a master of voices.

wet clothes and see his process of unwinding and decom-

When we toured, he'd prank call the sound tech, the

pressing, which always included a bath. While he excused

dancers, the driver, and have twenty-minute conversa-

himself to the bathroom, I perused the massive amounts

tions with them before they figured out it was him. He

of gifts he received from fans and merchants. Teddy bears,

found this one of the most thrillingly hilarious things in

cases of champagne, a sea of oil paintings and statues. He

the world. And I had to agree, it was pretty funny.

even received a matador’s costume in Spain. If he was in

But it was all part of his magic, the entertainer high.

the mood, sometimes Michael would small talk with me

CTE:

through the door, asking, “Bush, have you had a chance

“Do they let you touch him?” people in the business

to see any museums? Catch up with friends?” He always wanted to make sure I was having fun.

would ask me. And I would tell them, of course “they”

do, but every time I said this, the response was shock and

After Michael bathed, he put on his cotton pajamas

awe: “Wow, you touched Michael Jackson.” But then

that were either store-bought or custom-made by Den-

fans got to see me physically take off his coat on stage,

nis and me, and the chef brought his food, which he

throw it over my shoulder, and put on the next one. It

wouldn’t eat, since he was the worst eater on Earth—his

adrenaline made him off the wall, and he had no appetite

made Michael seem common, like one ofus.

because of it. We'd pop the recording of the show we just

Dressing Michael Jackson on tour required much

more than just putting the shoes on his feet. Before a

finished into the player, and Michael would begin his

show, I would accompany him in the car to the venue,

review, almost immediately noting even the most min-

then dress him, and generally be at his assistance for

ute detail of imperfection: “What’s wrong? The lights

two and a half hours. After I handed him a towel and a

aren't exactly right. What happened there? What did I

bottle of water, I’d get him back in the car. His clothes

do wrong? Why did the clothes do that?”

were always drenched after a show. He put so much

During the playback of one of the first Tokyo shows

into every performance, because he wanted it to be the

onthe Bad Tour, Michael heard scratching sound during

one, the only, the most amazing show on Earth. Out

“Billie Jean.” “Listen to this sound,” he said and pressed

of respect to the fans, it had to be “full out.” And so

the rewind button on the remote. “Where is it coming

my own work with him during the tours had to be the

from?” And then I heard it too. Scraping. Michael put

116

me in charge of figuring out what the problem was, so

I watched as Michael paraded across the stage in black pants, a black sequined jacket, and the white glove. He

had a handheld mic at the time, so it had to be the rhinestones on the glove rubbing against the mic, I decided,

and cut the rhinestones off the palm side of the glove. Michael always wanted solid ice, but for a show, he’d sac-

rifice his dust to ensure a perfect concert. So, from then on, Michael had two Billie Jean gloves: one performance

glove, with ice only on the exposed part of the hand and

fingers, and a photo glove—solid perfection. That’s how tuned in Michael was to sound. “You

need to fix this,’ or this, or this played like a broken record after each viewing of the previous show. He was

pensive and commanding in his usual even and calm tone. I wasn’t the only one involved in his unending quest for perfection. “The guitar player should be two

steps over behind me,’ Michael would note. “Look, I have a guitar handle behind my head. He needs to move over. That's my light.” That’s how visual Michael was. All

of his senses were engaged in an effort to engage his audience. Everything had to be perfect. That was one of his biggest demons.

THE REALITIES OF THE ROAD Learning how to make costumes function became a daily discovery process, especially during my first Bad Tour. Insipid things would happen that could potentially wreck the show, so I had to learn to scrutinize every detail. For instance, during a dress rehearsal, I

literally measured Michael after each set to see how many inches he’d take off his frame based on the water weight he'd lose at each point in the show. Michael was usually a twenty-eight-inch waist, but by the midpoint of the show, when he was ready to perform his magic act of choice, right before “Beat It,” he'd already

lost five pounds of water, and his waist dropped to twenty-seven and a quarter. His clothes had to fit properly or they'd fall off, which meant being pre-

pared to make adjustments to the clothes during a show. Michael didn’t have any hips. He was straight

as a board, so if we didn’t have clothes hanging on the TOKYO QUEEN

rack in the right order that were getting progressively

smaller, we'd risk him putting on a pair of pants that

Top: For the finale of the Dangerous Tour, I used a pair of tennis shoes to block Michael’ position for the rocket

would fall to his ankles with each rhythmic move of

man exit. Above: On Michael's Tokyo Disneyland notepaper, he instructs corrections for the next show. Following pages: The trick to not allowing my shyness to come between my work was to remain focused on

his body. And there is no magic in that!

making costume adjustments as quickly as possible, ignoring the fact that thousands offans were watching.

117

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Above: Africa Arrival Jacket.

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After the show, I wasn’t happy, and the more I

Rhinestones on Michael’s costumes had to be evenly

distributed on either side of the clothing. It was physics.

avoided his efforts at conversation, the funnier the whole

When Michael spun, he spun so hard that, if one sleeve

joke got for him until it became more than a joke and he

was heavier than the other, the momentum might throw

decided, “You're part of my show now, Bush.” Because,

him off kilter, which resulted in a less-than-perfect

to Michael, changing your clothes could be a show. He

spin—and imperfection was not acceptable to Michael.

had this way of putting on a coat. He’d extend his stiff

Then there was learning to dress Michael in the

ened arms straight down to the floor slightly behind

dark. Before the Dangerous Tour, Michael would finish

him, back arched, and chin up. He had this magic to

his song and, during the applause, change in his dressing

perform just for you, even while changing a jacket. After

room behind stage. Unlike other performers, Michael

that, I came on stage often, and I began to connect with

didn’t want music playing in the interim. He just allowed

the fans this way, because they saw that I really did get to

the applause to go on until he finished changing. If the

touch him—and I suppose that gave me a vicarious bit of

beat moved him to center stage and he had to run off

Michael’s extraordinary connection with them.

But even with the spotlight, I stood just outside of

stage to change, we'd lose valuable seconds that felt like

it so I had to rig the clothes to help me see them in the

minutes and hours.

dark. The basic way of doing this is to sew white lining inside, so in the pitch black, all Michael had to do

“He had this magic to perform just for you, even while changing a jacket.”

was put his arms behind him, and the coat would just glide on. He didn’t have to struggle to find the opening, and this seamless dressing and undressing without him looking at or touching his clothes added to the

But during the Dangerous Tour, he thought about it

Michael Mystique.

and said to me, “Wait a minute, when I’m in this dressing room, I’m losing what is happening out there with

Then there was the matter of zipping clothes up in

the audience. I am missing out. Bush, you have to come

the dark. There is certainly no magic in fiddling with a

out and change my clothes.”

zipper, so we added a zipper tag—a piece of leather that hung about one inch from the zipper tab. Michael loved

“Michael, I have a great face for radio, but I’m no

stage person,’ I protested.

it so much because it was long enough to move on its

He didn’t laugh. “Bush, if I bring you out, and I’m in

own when he walked. Anything that moved had life,

the spotlight, and you're in the dark, they'll never notice

and that pleased Michael. He asked us to add a zipper

you. Then you run away. Poof! I’ve changed, and it’s

tab to his nonperformance clothes. He'd swat at it, twist

magic.”

it, pull on it, and the habit became a part of his zip-zip,

So, the next thingIknew, one show later I was stand-

chew-chew routine. Something so simple gave him the

ing along the perimeter of a spotlight changing Michael

sense that he had something just for him on his clothes, a

into his Motown Medley Jacket. As long as we stayed

detail that nobody else noticed or knew about.

in the dark, I thought I would be okay. I had had stage

Michael did have to come off stage once during his

fright for as long as I could remember, and public speak-

shows to change his pants. He'd start the show off in

ing is not my forte, but there was no time to think about

black spandex, but at midpoint he needed to get into

it. 1came out armed with everything Ithought Michael

his Billie Jean baggies and rhinestone socks. Sometimes

would need. Back in the dressing room, I had an arsenal

we would have a gold or white Velcro stripe contrasting

of necessities accessible to me on the dressing table—

down the side of the Billie Jean pants, so we could just

towel, water, sewing kit, hair ties—but now I had only

tear it off and make it look like he actually wore three

one chance to make sure I had him covered.

pair of pants during a show instead of two. Wardrobe

[had the next jacket in my hand, towel in my mouth

became as much about props as it did about costuming.

to wipe his sweat, and a sewing kit in my back pocket.

And because Michael’s show was so multilayered and

Then, Michael took one step out of the spotlight and

eclectic, Dennis and I would have to create show clothes

said, “Ladies and gentleman, Michael Bush!” And he

that didn’t malfunction while enabling the illusion of

about fell to the floor, doubled over with laughter.

Michael’s Magic.

122

ay,

THE MAGIC

SUIT

times I did. And this process helped us determine what

Above: We put zipper tags on all of

Anyone who saw Michael Jackson in concert on his

the problem was. The Velcro might be too thick in the

Michael’ clothes, even when they werent neccessary.

solo tours knows he included a magic act in every show,

middle or not thick enough on the side. We'd have to

specifically a disappearing act. The magic act occurred

inspect: Is it going to hold here ifMichael does a leg kick,

in the middle of the show, always right before “Beat It?

or will the Velcro detach to show his clothes underneath?

which always made the house come down. The magic

Where are the stress points? Is it going to start ripping if

show acted as a way to get Michael into his Beat It out-

he bends down to shake a fan’s hand or slide across a stage

fit without a wardrobe change. We needed to layer his

floor? So here I would be doing my best Michael Jack-

outfits so he could wear his Billie Jean pants and white

son imitation, Dennis pulling and pushing, scrutiniz-

T-shirt, which doubled as the Beat It outfit, beneath

ing the Velcro seams, and timing with a stopwatch how

whatever he was wearing during the prior songs. The

quickly the suit would rip off.

way to do this was to build a breakaway suit and because

And then we'd do it all over again in the dark. And

he always wore it right before and during his magic act,

then in the dark while running because, during a show,

it was dubbed The Magic Suit.

that’s where we were and what we were doing when pulling off the suit and changing Michael into the Beat It

The Magic Suit was comprised of several pieces of

material that Velcro together in lieu of seams without a

jacket.

Michael

viewer being the wiser. The many pieces intersected at

performed

“Working Day and Night”

the front center to create the look of a jacket being worn

from Off the Wall right before the magic act. Beneath

on top of a pair of pants, but essentially it was worn as a

the Magic Suit, which varied depending on the show

jumpsuit. Every piece of Velcro and every seam and plac-

(since it took some time to put the Velcro pieces all back

ard was gimmicked so all I had to do was grab Michael at

together again), Michael would have his Billie Jean pants

the nape of his neck and pull and viola, the whole outfit

rolled up and a white T-shirt on.

would come off.

For the disappearing act during the Dangerous Tour,

After each Magic Suit we made, Dennis and I

Michael brought in David Copperfield (sometimes Sieg-

would test it. For some time, I was the same size as

fried and Roy) to help him make the illusions happen.

Michael, so I would put the Magic Suit on and Den-

And the Magic Suit was part of the strategy. How could

nis would pull it off from behind. Did it work? Many

Michael be on one side of the stage wearing what seemed

times it didn’t. I'd reach, bend over, kick as high as pos-

to be a pair of white and blue nylon pants and a match-

sible, contorting my body in ways I never even thought

ing blue jacket and in seconds pop up on the other side

imaginable just to see if I’d pop a seam, which many

of the stage wearing a black wind coat ready to kill the

123

Ce

THE MAGIC

SUIT

i {ade ofrip-stop nylon, the same material used to manufacture parachutes, we embellished this one-piece breakaway suit with studs and a thick belt to create the effect of two pieces. Michael stepped into the suit, which zippered up the front. The entire outfit, however, broke away at four seams while remaining one large piece of fabric to reassemble in time for the next show.

nes

Above: Reassembling after a show was a painstaking task, so we had several Magic Suits in reserve.

Above: Michael danced so rigorously, he could create holes in rip-stop nylon, which is manufactured to not rip.

Above: Denniss wind coat sketch, 1988. Opposite: Black iridescent China silk wind coat over snakeskin Beat It jacket from the Bad Tour.

126

audience with “Beat It”? Everyone on tour had to sign

Magic needed to be perfect. If those lights came on and

confidentiality agreements saying we wouldn't divulge

there was no “ta-da,’ there was no coming back from

the trade secrets we were now privy to.

that. It would destroy Michael’s illusion of magic.

It’s fair to reveal, though, that lighting and explosions are the illusionist’s best friend. On the Bad Tour,

an intense situation, Michael and I would fall into fits of

Michael would climb a set of stairs that led underneath

uncontrollable laughter with just a glance at each other,

the stage. As soon as he hit the ground, Michael had to

so it was an unwritten rule that we could not look at each

take off into the darkness toward the other side of the

other during this stunt. Because of the darkness beneath

stage, with me running behind him, dodging pipes and

the stage, I thought it would be helpful for me to get

metal grids, pulling the nape of his neck, and discarding

one of those bike lights that you strap to your head, so

the breakaway suit behind me. Once on the other side,

I could provide some much-needed light while remain-

we'd un-cuff his Billie Jean pants, throw on his Beat It

ing hands-free. Well, the minute Michael dropped from

jacket and wind coat, and attach him to a cherry picker

beneath the giant black box, he took one look at me and

hook that lifted him back up the stage floor to the other

said, “I didn’t know Doc from the Seven Dwarfs was

side of the stadium... in eleven seconds flat.

working here now.”

If I'd had the time, I would have been freaking out. There

wasn’t always an opportunity

to rehearse

magic show in every city of the tour—123

the

shows in

sixteen months throughout fifteen countries. And even

: Michael performing with Jennifer Batten on the Dangerous Tour, 1992, wearing one of our Magic Suits.

One time we did miss the cue. Any time there was

Well, that was more than enough for us to miss the ta-da. Michael all but cackled in his lapel microphone until we hoisted him up on the cherry picker, and then it was showtime again.

if the infrastructure of the venue was a surprise, some-

“Don’t ever do that to me again, Bush!” Michael

how I stayed focused. I had to. I knew that by a certain

warned me, still laughing in the car back to the hotel.

beat I needed to have Michael at a certain place beneath

It was apparent that even perfection could stand a little

that stage. If Ididn’t, we were totally screwed. Michael’s

dose of humor once in a while. ~~

Above: Michael’ support team in 1991, pictured here from left: me, Carol La Mere (hair), Michael Jackson, Karen Faye (makeup), and Janet Zeitoun (hair).

129

CHAPTER

SEVEN

AS

ea

i

ae Ranch Angeles,

and

without

right away

sometimes

SS