LOS ANGELES, CA.- When Michael Jackson took the stage in 1983 to perform “Billie Jean” during the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special, he delivered a performance that would change music and pop culture forever. Wearing his now-iconic rhinestone-studded glove and loafers, Jackson debuted the Moonwalk before a global television audience and cemented his status as a worldwide superstar.

Later that year in 1983, Jackson appeared in the groundbreaking “Thriller” music video wearing the instantly recognizable red and black leather jacket. The short film transformed the possibilities of music videos, and made its choreography, imagery, and fashion, represented by that jacket, one of the most recognizable pieces of clothing in music history.

Julien’s is set for another record-breaking auction later this year, when these four pieces return to the auction block December 7 as part of Michael Jackson: The Fashion Legacy Auction Evening Session. The auction will form part of Julien’s Celebrity & Pop Culture Experience, taking place December 7-9 at Rosewood Abu Dhabi.

“As the world’s leading entertainment auction house, and the team that set world records for both the Thriller jacket in 2011 and the Motown 25 glove in 2009, it is a true privilege to offer these pieces of history again. The Thriller jacket is the one the world has never stopped talking about, and we are thrilled to unveil it alongside the rhinestone-studded glove Michael Jackson wore when he debuted the moonwalk at Motown 25, and these other cultural artifacts. Each one carries a moment that changed pop culture forever, and we’re honored to offer them again.” said Martin Nolan, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Julien’s Auctions.

Four Iconic Items To Hit The Auction Block

Michael Jackson’s 1983 “Thriller” Music Video-Worn Jacket. Estimate Available Upon Request

The iconic black and candy red calf leather jacket, worn by Michael Jackson in the 1983 music video for his smash hit “Thriller.”

The jacket features silver buckles at the cuffs, a red silk lining, a trapunto-stitched collar, a snap-front closure, and signature winged shoulders. A “Marc Laurent Paris” label is present. The jacket is inscribed on the inside lining in black marker, “To Bush and Dennis All My Love Michael Jackson.” The sleeve is additionally signed in black marker, “Love Michael Jackson.” This jacket is one of two created for the video; the other was shredded and intentionally distressed for the sequences in the video where Jackson appears as a zombie. The distressed jacket is retained by the estate and has been on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This is the only jacket worn by Jackson during the portions of the video when he is not in zombie makeup. The design of the jacket was conceived by Deborah Nadoolman Landis who designed the costumes for the short film / music video. She wanted a silhouette that would build Jackson’s physique up, with exaggerated shoulders and the now iconic “V” shape.

Following the video’s massive success, the jacket sparked what fashion historians consider the hottest outerwear fad of the mid 1980s. Countless teenagers and young adults worldwide sought replicas, and authorized and unauthorized copies flooded the market; some selling for more than $500, a substantial sum in the 1980s. The look was so tied to the song that Jackson’s longtime costume designers, Dennis Tompkins and Michael Bush, were tasked with creating variations of the original jacket for Jackson’s live tour performances.

Michael Bush has shared that Jackson brought this original jacket to he and Dennis Tompkins and asked them to make a pattern from it to create future versions of the famous look for live performances. Jackson assumed that they would have to destroy the original jacket in the process. He was so pleased that they were able to create a pattern from the jacket without destroying the original that he gave it to them in appreciation, adding the personalized inscriptions. Tompkins and Bush would go on to create wildly creative variations of this jacket for subsequent tours, always challenged by Jackson to outdo themselves with every iteration culminating in their elaborately engineered a glow-in-the-dark flashing variant to maximize the visual impact in a stadium setting.

The “Thriller” single and its iconic short film / music video accumulated an unprecedented array of awards, historic chart milestones, and critical honors that forever altered the music industry. While the overarching Thriller album won a record-shattering eight Grammy Awards in 1984, the title track and its short film earned major individual accolades. Jackson is credited with reimagining the medium of the music video treating it as more of a short film prompting MTV to rename the Video Vanguard award after Jackson. In 2009, the “Thriller” music video was selected by the Library of Congress for permanent preservation due to its historical, cultural, and aesthetic significance. It remains the first and only music video ever inducted into the registry.

Michael Jackson’s 1983 “Thriller” Music Video-Worn Loafers with Signed Letter. Estimate: $30,000 - $50,000 USD

A pair of black leather Florsheim loafers, worn by Michael Jackson in the 1983 “Thriller” music video, as well as during rehearsals for the video.

The loafers have been scored on the bottom of each shoe and feature “MJ Thriller Shoes” handwritten in marker on each sole. Size 9.5.

Accompanied by a signed letter from Jackson to Michael Peters (Jackson’s choreographer for the music video) dated December 18, 1983, that reads: “I wanted to write you a note to say thank you for Thriller. What we did together means a lot to me. You understood the feeling of it right away and helped bring it to life in a way I’ll never forget. The dancing told the story without needing words, and that’s something special. I want you to have the shoes I wore in the Thriller video. They’ve been through all the rehearsals and filming, and it feels right that you keep them. I hope they remind you of what we made together and how important your part was in it. Thank you for your talent, your patience, and your heart. Love, Michael Jackson.”

Also accompanying the lot is a single sheet, signed in red marker by Jackson: “Thank you, Love Michael Jackson.”

The costumes in Michael Jackson’s 1983 “Thriller” music video—designed by costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis—are among the most influential wardrobe choices in pop culture history. The wardrobe was deliberately crafted to contrast bright, youthful pop styles against the dark, gritty textures of a classic horror film. Jackson paired the iconic red leather jacket with matching red ankle-length trousers, dark penny loafers, and his signature white socks to draw visual focus to his sharp footwork during the choreography.

Michael Jackson’s Motown 25 Stage-Worn Glove. Estimate: $600,000 - $800,000 USD

Universally recognized as the “Holy Grail of Michael Jackson memorabilia,” the glove represents the precise moment when music, fashion, dance and popular culture converged to create one of the most enduring images in entertainment history.

The glove will be offered at auction for the first time since November 2009, when it was acquired at Julien’s Auctions by visionary Hong Kong businessman Hoffman Ma for a then-record-breaking $430,000.

Over the past 17 years, the glove has become far more than a prized collectible. Displayed as a major cultural attraction, it has been viewed by international visitors and generations of devoted Michael Jackson fans who traveled from around the world for the rare opportunity to see this extraordinary piece of pop history up close.

Michael Jackson’s Motown 25 Stage-Worn Loafers. Estimate: $60,000 - $80,000 USD

The staple black leather Florsheim Como moc toe tassel loafers, worn by Michael Jackson on May 16, 1983, when he performed “Billie Jean” during rehearsals for the NBC television special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, filmed to celebrate the record label’s greatest artists.

In these shoes, Jackson unveiled the moonwalk to the public for the first time, forever securing the dance as his signature move. The performance is widely regarded as his breakthrough as a solo artist, and its structure, from the opening pose to the moonwalk in the song’s bridge, became the template for his tour performances of the song in the years that followed.

Designed by the Chicago-based Florsheim Shoe Company, founded in 1892, the loafers feature hand-sewn detailing at the vamp and band, burgundy leather interior lining stamped in gilt at the heel with “The Florsheim Shoe, Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.,” and leather soles with scored wooden heels.