“The idea was to keep them for him.”
That’s how one of the biggest stars in music explained the day she went home with a big piece of Michael Jackson’s closet.
For years, two costume designers in Los Angeles made the outfits Michael wore on stage and on tour. They sewed the sparkling jackets and the crystal gloves fans still picture the moment they hear his name. They were his friends too, and they held on to many of those pieces.
In December 2012, they decided to let the collection go.
The sale took place in Beverly Hills on a Sunday, run by Julien’s Auctions, with hundreds of items up for bid. A jacket Michael wore on his “Bad” tour sold for $240,000, twice what the auction house had hoped for. One of his famous crystal gloves went for more than $100,000.
One buyer stood out from everyone else that day.
By the end of the day, she had won 55 pieces. That’s enough of Michael’s wardrobe to fill a small closet. She posted a photo of herself holding bidding paddle number 462, with a promise to her fans that the pieces would be “archived & expertly cared for in the spirit & love of Michael Jackson.”
News outlets picked up the story right away. Here’s how it was reported.
The news report on the 55 pieces
People wondered what a pop star would do with all of it. Wear his jackets on stage, maybe, or lock them away for good?
Months later, she talked about the clothes on the radio with Ryan Seacrest, and her answer surprised a lot of people. She said she didn’t really want to wear them, because “they’re Michael’s clothes.”
There was one exception. She’d kept a few of his sweaters close, and she said she’d pull one on while she was mixing and finishing her own record. “I feel something from the clothing,” she said.
She also gave a little of it away. She said one of his sweaters went to his godson, and that he really loved it. She reportedly passed some pieces on to members of Michael’s family as well.
Here’s that radio visit.
Her radio interview with Ryan Seacrest, 2013
So who was the fan with paddle 462? It was Lady Gaga, who has called Michael one of her biggest heroes. She reportedly said she’d like to put the whole collection in a museum one day, with the money going to a cause Michael cared about.