A Bathing Ape has announced a new Michael Jackson collection, complete with an extremely limited run of varsity jackets inspired by the King of Pop’s “Thriller” video.
Production on the jacket in question, inspired by the very one MJ wore in the John Landis-directed short film in 1983, will top out at just 50 pieces. This limited run is part of a larger collaborative collection that also sees an animated take on the late artist being utilized across t-shirts and sweatshirts.
The collection will be shoppable via the Bape site and in-person stores starting on Oct. 28. For more info on the launch, see here.
Below, get a closer look at select collection pieces.
“Thriller” and its unforgettable jacket were recently referenced in the official video for Offset’s Set It Off single “Fan.” In a statement released alongside the video last month, Offset pointed to the “personal” nature of his new album, as well as the parallels he sees between his and MJ’s trajectories.
“I’ve been working on this project for over two years now," Offset said in September. "This season is personal for me. It marks a new chapter in my life. I feel like Michael Jackson coming from a successful group breaking records to superstardom on my own. This body of work is healing for me and a letter to my fans and supporters.”
Next on the horizon for MJ fans is director Antoine Fuqua's Michael biopic, starring the singer's nephew, Jaafar Jackson. When Fuqua announced Jaafar's casting earlier this year, he called the upcoming film a "motion picture event that explores the journey of the man who became the King of Pop."
At the time of this writing, an official release date for Michael had not been announced. As of late August, production on the film was confirmed to still be on pause due to the strikes.
