The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson

When I first heard about this book I wasn't very interested. That's because I'm not really a clothes/fashion person so even though I like Michael Jackson's music and dance, reading about his clothes did not seem that interesting. Then a friend of mine bought it and sang praises about how beautiful this book is. So I decided to order a copy. When it arrived I was immediately impressed and pleasantly surprised. I somehow did not expect it to be this big and it is really beautifully done. Great pictures, quality work. And now I read it too. It's an absolutely amazing book, one of the best I have ever read about MJ! It made me laugh and (the last chapters) cry. It isn't just about clothes, it's about Michael and his art. After all these clothes are a part of his creative vision, a part of his artistry and legacy in ways I have not really realized and appreciated before reading this book. As we learn from it Michael's clothes weren't thought out by some PR team or a team of designers who decided about what should be his image. No, that's not Michael Jackson! His clothes were mainly based on his own ideas and his creative visions - and then Dennis Tompkins and Michael Bush helped to realize them, often adding their own ideas, but it was always MJ who was the driving force behind them. Michael wanted his clothes to be trademark, yet always wanted to come up with something new, something larger than life, something magical. And he did. Many of his clothes are breathtakingly beautiful, others are funny - as bringing humor and a tongue-in-cheak attitude into it was important for MJ too. He was a true artist in every sense of the word, always creating in every way, and that wasn't just limited to writing music or creating choreographies, but also to creating his trademark and fascinating wardrobe. From this book we learn about the creative process behind many of the clothes we have seen on Michael over the years. However it isn't just a story of the clothes, but the book also has lots of stories about Michael, it gives an insight into what kind of person he was: driven and creative beyond belief, demanding, sometimes annoying, but also fun and funny and had a golden heart, wonderment and a childlike personality in the most positive sense of the word. It also tells the story of two very talented craftsmen who became true artists under Michael Jackson's guidance because he always challenged and pushed them to think outside of the box and to be creative. As much as the book is a tribute to Michael Jackson it is also a tribute to Dennis Tomkins (who died in 2011) by Michael Bush. I think this book is a "must have" for Michael Jackson fans, but it's also a great read if you are not really a fan, but you are interested in clothes and costumes which are unsusual and outside of the general fashion trends or if you are interested in showbusiness and larger than life entertainment and how the creative mind of such a genius of an entertainer ticked. Absolutely stunning book!

I'm stunned by this book, it's a fascinating journey into the genius of these three men that worked so closely together for all those years. If I wasn't a fan I'd still love the book, you don't need to be a fan to enjoy this one. I've bought a lot of Michael Jackson books over the years, but this one is right up there in the top five imho, I felt close to Michael reading it but not in an intrusive way, I felt like I was along for the trip not just watching the trip happen. It's written so well in amazing detail, and the photographs of Michael's clothes are breathtaking, you can see the exquisite detail of the stitching and decoration. Oh to have those skills! The stories about Michael's little foibles made me giggle, he was a demanding little toad but wow he got the best from his friends because of his drive and determination that they, as well as he, were perfectionists. It's clear to see that these guys respected and loved each other dearly, I'm so glad I got this book, if you haven't yet and you have the cash - get it - you won't regret it. The little note to the fans at the end of the acknowledgments section made me sob like a baby, it's beautiful - thank you Michael Bush, so hard for you to lose your partner as well as Michael too it must have been hard to write the book at all at times. Now I'm gonna read it again.

I've been waiting ages for this book to be released as I just knew it was going to be a good one:-). It is full of tons of pictures of MJ's stunning jackets, outfits which everyone will remember seeing him in. Michael Bush is the guy that dressed Michael Jackson and he shares some great strories of MJ in this book, it also shows how much input MJ liked to have in his outfits and the idea's that he came up with. It shows all the outfits that we all remember such as The History gold outfit, the dangerous suit, 1993 Grammy awards jacket and many more, it also describes what work went into each outfit and how long they took to reach the final garment. Whether your fan or not you will enjoy this book, just looking through pages and pages of stunning outfits of MJ's was AMAZING. Towards the end of the book it also shows some of the gorgeous outfits that were being prepared for what would have been Michael's This is it tour. The book is alot bigger than i expected to. Thankyou Mr Bush you have done MJ proud. Definitely one of my favourite MJ books.

Although Michael Jackson is one of my favourite topics, I rarely buy books written about him as they hardly ever contain anything new to me (and often contain questionable information and pure speculation). However, I bought "The King of Style" and I am so so happy that I did. It is absolutely gorgeous and a MUST for any MJ fan or costume/fashion enthusiast. It is lovely to browse through the book and see all the familiar pieces, beautifully photographed. It also didn't hurt that I enjoy sewing/garment construction and the information in the book is fascinating to me from that perspective, as well. However, what makes the book truly special are the anecdotes of how the author and MJ came up with the ideas and designs. They warm the hearts of the fans who still feel his passing very sorely indeed.

The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson An excellent book written by the man who brought Michaels ideas of style, fashion and originality to life. Wonderful insight into the tricks used by MLB and MJJ to make the stage come to life with the colours, materials and life of the clothes. An interesting history of the truly ground-breaking techniques used on tour and in public to make the clothes maketh the man. Some truly heart-warming insights into the way MJ shared his ideas - making everything a challenge with a win- win at the end of the game... ANd a bonus of the history and updates or changes to costume throughout MJs career - Billie Jean jacket / Thriller jacket! Also an insight into where some of these probably priceless artifacts are now. A MUST for anyone with interest in MJ, Design, Fashion, Music and generally beautiful clothes!

This is a beautiful book, 'scrumptious' is the word to sum it up! Big, heavy, full of fantastic photos and lots and lots of interesting information about Michael and his clothes. This really is one of the best books about Michael Jackson and I write as an avid fan who has more than 100 books about him. Michael Bush knew MJ very well and is generous in sharing information. For those buying for a fashion interest this is also the one MJ clothes book to go for, a super book which is well worth the money. No expense has been spared, I think MJ would have been delighted with this book.

A very well presented book. Great photographs of the iconic outfits. Nice stories about the background to each outfit. I would have liked a bit more detail about Bushes work with michael Jackson, for example his experience of touring with him. Nice to have a book which focuses on an aspect of Michael Jackson the artist rather than sensationalist tabloid type views of his life.

Even though I was sure I would be very pleased with this book based on the many great reviews, I was still surprised by the quality of this. The photography is stunning, the text informative, I thank Michael Bush very much for this. If you love Michael Jackson, and/or have an appreciation for the craftmanship of exquisite clothes, do not hesitate - you need this book in your life.

Consigliato a tutti i fans del Re. Bellissimo libro scritto con amore e delicatezza. Descrive la nascita dei costumi di Michael, insieme alla storia della loro amicizia e uno sguardo sulla personalità di Michael. Molto interessante, commovente la parte finale. Bellissime foto. Ottima qualità di stampa.

マイケルの専属衣装係だったマイケル・ブッシュ氏の著作。ツアーやフォトシュートでおなじみのあの衣装、この衣装が大判カラー写真で見られ、制作にまつわる逸話や普段のマイケルの様子などを読むことができます。ぜひ日本語でも出してほしいですが、写真集として見るだけでも価値はあると思います。刊行当時、スカイツリーの衣装展でブッシュ氏にサインしてもらった本もありますが、それは保存用にして、今回は読む用での購入です。

Excelente libro, magnifica calidad

a very nice book with wonderfuö pictures and well written. I give 4/5 stars because it's maybe not that much mainstream and very detailed (fashion and making creation michaels costumes). So the book isn't a book for everyone, but a very good book for every MJ fan! Michael Bush was a loyal and long lasting friend of MJ and it's really a pleasure to see a positive and truthful book about MJ and how things were done behind the scenes. A good book, not only focusing on rumours or alligations,but putting more focuse on the hard work MJ and his crew have done and the talent,creativity and expertise MJ (as an artist) had.

I've been a huge fan of Michael Jackson since I was a child and his wonderful artistry in music, dance, story telling etc continues to live on. I've been very careful about reading books about MJ due to biased and trashy views that seem to attack him rather than focus on his musical contribution to the world, but I knew that I had to get this book. The book itself is so beautiful and something that we know MJ would've loved to own & read! The photos are so beautiful and of high quality. The stories and detailed information is a must-read! Once you remove the elegant book jacket, the front cover & back cover is just beautiful! Michael Bush is a longtime friend and designer of MJ for 25 years, and I knew better to trust someone that knew MJ from the inside than those who claim that they "really" know him after just few interviews. Like MJ's music and his creative work, I was mesmerized by Bush's stories and detailed explanations behind MJ's wardrobes. I could tell just how close Bush and (Bush's partner & other designer) Tompkins were to MJ, who were inspired by MJ to think outside of the box to accommodate the King of Pop's imaginative creations of fashion. There were so many things (not going to spoil it) that surprised me and even made me laugh at times because of the fun & insightful stories that Bush would share about MJ. MJ was a perfectionist, but he was also very, very creative. Anyone that worked with MJ could see that and understand that he was heavily invested in making sure that his ideas and creativity came to life. Beyond his music and his story-telling, Bush & Tompkins understood that. They worked long hours making sure that their craftsmanship was up to MJ's standards, but it also inspired them to understand that fashion has its own way of storytelling and they made sure to put in every single detail that showed off MJ's creativity in his clothes as well. MJ is a humble and caring person, there were moments in this book where I smiled so hard that I almost cried. He gave credit where it was due and there's so many reasons why Bush & Tomkins were chosen by MJ to work for him, and how Bush and Tompkins felt the same way. Watching MJ's concerts, I noticed Michael Bush going on stage to help MJ quickly change and just by that alone, you can tell that MJ trusted him and as a fan, I felt the same about Bush and Tompkins who side by side to worked tirelessly put MJ's creativity out there. At the end, Bush says this, "My Biggest thanks go to all of Michael Jackson's fan. This book has always been intended to be yours and now it is." I suggest all MJ fans to purchase this book, it's definitely a work of art on its own.