Michael Jackson's Thriller jacket and loafers to be auctioned in Abu Dhabi
In short
Julien's Auctions will put up for sale the original red jacket and loafers Michael Jackson wore in the Thriller music video, the auction house's press service said. The jacket is estimated at $200,000 to $400,000, and the sale is to take place from December 7 to 9 at the Rosewood Abu Dhabi hotel, according to Vedomosti.
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The auction house Julien's Auctions will put up for sale the original red jacket and loafers that singer Michael Jackson wore in the music video for Thriller, the house's press service said, RBC reported. TASS and Vedomosti reported that the sale will take place in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, and that the jacket is estimated at $200,000 to $400,000. TASS described this as the estimate for the lot, while Vedomosti, citing the auction house's website, gave a separate estimate of $30,000 to $50,000 for the loafers. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
According to the auction house's announcement, as reported by Vedomosti, an evening sale devoted to Michael Jackson's fashion legacy will be held as part of a programme on celebrities and pop culture. It will run from December 7 to 9 at the Rosewood Abu Dhabi hotel. Besides the jacket, the sale will include stage costumes, outfits from the singer's videos and his personal belongings, with more than 100 lots in all. Vedomosti reported that the items were created by designers Dennis Tompkins and Michael Bush, and that the auction house said guests will be able to buy four items that "changed the world of fashion, music and pop culture". [ 3 ]
Vedomosti noted that the 1982 album Thriller, which made Michael Jackson a global superstar, is considered the best-selling album in history, with about 65 million copies sold as of 2016. The recording of the album cost $750,000, and it became one of the last masterpieces of analogue recording, the newspaper wrote. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
Three tier-1 Russian outlets, including TASS, reported the sale of items from the Thriller video. Vedomosti noted that the Thriller album is considered the best-selling album in history.
Key facts
- Julien's Auctions will offer the original red jacket and loafers Michael Jackson wore in the Thriller music video, the auction house's press service said. [ 1 ]
- The auction will take place in Abu Dhabi. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The jacket is estimated at $200,000 to $400,000. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The loafers from the same video are estimated at $30,000 to $50,000, according to Vedomosti. [ 3 ]
- The sale is scheduled for December 7 to 9 at the Rosewood Abu Dhabi hotel, according to Vedomosti. [ 3 ]
- More than 100 lots will be offered, including stage costumes, outfits from the singer's videos and his personal belongings, Vedomosti reported. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether the jacket and loafers are sold as one lot or separately. TASS says the lot is estimated at $200,000 to $400,000, while Vedomosti gives that range for the jacket alone and a separate $30,000 to $50,000 estimate for the loafers.
- The exact name of the auction house. RBC gives it as Julien's Auctions and Vedomosti as Julien's Auction.
- Which four items the auction house says changed fashion, music and pop culture. Vedomosti quotes the auction house on four such items without listing them.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- October 8: RBC reports that Julien's Auctions will sell the Thriller jacket and loafers. [ 1 ]
- October 9: TASS reports the jacket will be auctioned in Abu Dhabi, estimated at $200,000 to $400,000. [ 2 ]
- October 9: Vedomosti reports the December 7 to 9 sale at the Rosewood Abu Dhabi and the loafers' estimate. [ 3 ]