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MJJC Exclusive Q&A with Michael Lee Bush
MJJC: How did Michael feel about the clothes he had to wear from his childhood through his teenage years? How do you think those styles influenced what he liked, disliked, and looked for in clothes and costumes?
MLB: I would suspect that everything Michael wore from his early days until later in life influenced his likes and dislikes as it would with anyone. Michael had a defined style which influences the fashion world to this day.
MJJC: I am guessing since you were the one to dress MJ, you were at the MJ and Friends Concerts in 1999. During the 2nd concert in Munich on June 27, 1999, and the bridge collapsed during Earth Song, what was your reaction?
MLB: Like everyone else, surprised and concerned
MJJC: From the book, I understood that most of MJ's cryptic symbols didn't really mean anything. However, for a long time fans were curious about runes on the sleeves of soldiers in the HIStory teaser. What inspired them, are they based on any real alphabet, was there any meaning to them, or were they just random?
MLB: The symbols were simply designed patterns we created and had no other meaning
MJJC: What model of Florsheim shoes did MJ wear? You mention that there was an elastic band on his Florsheims to keep the shoes on MJ's feet when kicking and dancing. Was that stock Florsheim or added by you and Dennis Tompkins?
MLB: They were stock Florsheim shoes, the model was called Como
MJJC: Did Versace play any part in designing the fencing suit and the gold pants? (There’s a Wikipedia quote crediting Versace for the designs and we wonder if this is true or not)
MLB: No he did not
MJJC: Why did you decide not to include any of the trial suits in the book? What happened to those suits?
MLB: The book is about showing clothes and we also did not have any more room to include anything else
MJJC: How often did the costumes break/tear/not work as supposed to on stage, and did MJ get upset about it? Were there any incidents of wardrobe malfunction while Michael was on stage and how did he cover it up?
MLB: There was an incident when the Velcro came undone during a breakaway suit and we quickly had to fix it when he ran off stage during a performance.
MJJC: During the Dangerous Tour, it seems obvious that Michael didn't have any underwear on. Wasn't this highly uncomfortable for him when performing? or did he do it to feel more freedom, so to speak, when moving, in case he did not use any? It seems so unlikely for someone shy to avoid wearing it. Or perhaps, was it just the fabric that accentuated his figure?
MLB: Michael always wore undergarments.
MJJC: Was the idea of the fencing suit for Dangerous tour practical (to make sure the shirt doesn't stick out), or simply a fashion statement? Was this suit ever intended to be worn inside the pants?
MLB: The fencing shirts is just like the European fencing shirts and those are always made to wear outside the pants
MJJC: Why the "Thriller" jackets in Dangerous and HIStory Tour were yellow and not red like in the short film? Was it Michael's preference?
MLB: During this tour, we were working with colours that glowed in the dark under black light, this outdoor colour worked for that reason
MJJC: Who designed the "Blood on the Dance Floor" red costume and how did it come about?
MLB: Myself, Dennis Tompkins and Michael Jackson designed it. Michael liked the red colour because it was regal and royal
MJJC: Was there any meaning to MJ's headscarf in the "You Rock My World" video? Why did he wear it? Did it have anything to do with the feud with Sony?
MLB: The headscarf was worn because Michael wanted to do something different, nothing else.
MJJC: There are many questions on the how and why of things Michael added to his look and outfits. Is there a story that Michael found hilarious? Something like the finger tape story and how fans came up with the reason that it was to prevent him from biting his fingernails?
MLB: He loved the military style, but he also loved regal and royal styles. You can see that in many of his clothes. There are too many stories to pick just one.
MJJC: You say in the book that Michael avoided what was trending because he wanted to be copied. Was there ever an outfit/trend that he found so amazing that he wished he would have thought of that before someone else did?
MLB: Not that I am aware of
MJJC: A lot of people and celebrities try to emulate Michael, including his fashion. What did Michael think of people - celebrities, who copied his style?
MLB: He was flattered
MJJC: Did you spend any time with Michael when you, Michael and Dennis didn't or weren't planning costumes or was it always around work? If yes, what did you do together and where did you go with him?
MLB: Yes we often spent time together just talking or laughing. Michael loved to laugh
MJJC: Did you ever get impatient with him while designing costumes, for example, you had a certain thing in your mind about how the costume should look, and then Michael wanted to change it.
MLB: No, Michael was the ultimate showman and had incredible ideas which we were blessed enough to be the recipient of
MJJC: Did Michael play any pranks on you or Dennis?
MLB: He always, he loved it and he loved playing jokes and pranks on people. He was great at it.
MJJC: What are your best and worst memories of Michael?
MLB: His laughter…will always be his laughter
MJJC: What do you miss most about Michael?
MLB: His laughter…it was contagious
MJJC: Do you have anything you want to say to the members of MJJCommunity or Michael Jackson fans in general?
MLB: Thank you for preserving Michael’s legacy, for being there for him always and for celebrating his music, his life and his love of the fans worldwide. He was the world’s greatest entertainer but also my friend and I will devote the rest of my life to preserving his legacy
MJJC: How did Michael feel about the clothes he had to wear from his childhood through his teenage years? How do you think those styles influenced what he liked, disliked, and looked for in clothes and costumes?
MLB: I would suspect that everything Michael wore from his early days until later in life influenced his likes and dislikes as it would with anyone. Michael had a defined style which influences the fashion world to this day.
MJJC: I am guessing since you were the one to dress MJ, you were at the MJ and Friends Concerts in 1999. During the 2nd concert in Munich on June 27, 1999, and the bridge collapsed during Earth Song, what was your reaction?
MLB: Like everyone else, surprised and concerned
MJJC: From the book, I understood that most of MJ's cryptic symbols didn't really mean anything. However, for a long time fans were curious about runes on the sleeves of soldiers in the HIStory teaser. What inspired them, are they based on any real alphabet, was there any meaning to them, or were they just random?
MLB: The symbols were simply designed patterns we created and had no other meaning
MJJC: What model of Florsheim shoes did MJ wear? You mention that there was an elastic band on his Florsheims to keep the shoes on MJ's feet when kicking and dancing. Was that stock Florsheim or added by you and Dennis Tompkins?
MLB: They were stock Florsheim shoes, the model was called Como
MJJC: Did Versace play any part in designing the fencing suit and the gold pants? (There’s a Wikipedia quote crediting Versace for the designs and we wonder if this is true or not)
MLB: No he did not
MJJC: Why did you decide not to include any of the trial suits in the book? What happened to those suits?
MLB: The book is about showing clothes and we also did not have any more room to include anything else
MJJC: How often did the costumes break/tear/not work as supposed to on stage, and did MJ get upset about it? Were there any incidents of wardrobe malfunction while Michael was on stage and how did he cover it up?
MLB: There was an incident when the Velcro came undone during a breakaway suit and we quickly had to fix it when he ran off stage during a performance.
MJJC: During the Dangerous Tour, it seems obvious that Michael didn't have any underwear on. Wasn't this highly uncomfortable for him when performing? or did he do it to feel more freedom, so to speak, when moving, in case he did not use any? It seems so unlikely for someone shy to avoid wearing it. Or perhaps, was it just the fabric that accentuated his figure?
MLB: Michael always wore undergarments.
MJJC: Was the idea of the fencing suit for Dangerous tour practical (to make sure the shirt doesn't stick out), or simply a fashion statement? Was this suit ever intended to be worn inside the pants?
MLB: The fencing shirts is just like the European fencing shirts and those are always made to wear outside the pants
MJJC: Why the "Thriller" jackets in Dangerous and HIStory Tour were yellow and not red like in the short film? Was it Michael's preference?
MLB: During this tour, we were working with colours that glowed in the dark under black light, this outdoor colour worked for that reason
MJJC: Who designed the "Blood on the Dance Floor" red costume and how did it come about?
MLB: Myself, Dennis Tompkins and Michael Jackson designed it. Michael liked the red colour because it was regal and royal
MJJC: Was there any meaning to MJ's headscarf in the "You Rock My World" video? Why did he wear it? Did it have anything to do with the feud with Sony?
MLB: The headscarf was worn because Michael wanted to do something different, nothing else.
MJJC: There are many questions on the how and why of things Michael added to his look and outfits. Is there a story that Michael found hilarious? Something like the finger tape story and how fans came up with the reason that it was to prevent him from biting his fingernails?
MLB: He loved the military style, but he also loved regal and royal styles. You can see that in many of his clothes. There are too many stories to pick just one.
MJJC: You say in the book that Michael avoided what was trending because he wanted to be copied. Was there ever an outfit/trend that he found so amazing that he wished he would have thought of that before someone else did?
MLB: Not that I am aware of
MJJC: A lot of people and celebrities try to emulate Michael, including his fashion. What did Michael think of people - celebrities, who copied his style?
MLB: He was flattered
MJJC: Did you spend any time with Michael when you, Michael and Dennis didn't or weren't planning costumes or was it always around work? If yes, what did you do together and where did you go with him?
MLB: Yes we often spent time together just talking or laughing. Michael loved to laugh
MJJC: Did you ever get impatient with him while designing costumes, for example, you had a certain thing in your mind about how the costume should look, and then Michael wanted to change it.
MLB: No, Michael was the ultimate showman and had incredible ideas which we were blessed enough to be the recipient of
MJJC: Did Michael play any pranks on you or Dennis?
MLB: He always, he loved it and he loved playing jokes and pranks on people. He was great at it.
MJJC: What are your best and worst memories of Michael?
MLB: His laughter…will always be his laughter
MJJC: What do you miss most about Michael?
MLB: His laughter…it was contagious
MJJC: Do you have anything you want to say to the members of MJJCommunity or Michael Jackson fans in general?
MLB: Thank you for preserving Michael’s legacy, for being there for him always and for celebrating his music, his life and his love of the fans worldwide. He was the world’s greatest entertainer but also my friend and I will devote the rest of my life to preserving his legacy
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