On social media, the Michael Jackson Estate just announced a new collaboration with the Santo Studio, a Californian luxury design studio.
To the products first! Again, it is apparels! 3 T-Shirts, one hoodie and a fleece:
- A white T-shirt with the full body BAD pose and the word “BAD” written in another font from the original. $60
- A black t-shit with again a full body of Michael on the Bad Tour and the word “King of Pop”. $60
- A White T-shirt with a oval framed picture of Michael with a dog. $60
- A white Fleece with on the front the “Beat It” pose and word “Beat It” on the chest and on the back same picture, bigger and with the word “Michael Jackson Beat It”. $148
- A black Zip Hoodie with a Thriller pose and the word “Thriller” on the chest on the front and on the back, same design but larger. $169
While those items are already sold out on Santo Studio website, you might find some at Nordstrom stores. Oh and US only please of course!
Just my personal take on the designs, they are… fine. Nothing new or groundbreaking. Honestly, the random picture of Michael with the dog feels kind of out of place. And once again, why remove the original fonts? Was Michael’s own work not good enough for Karen Langford, the Estate’s go-to decision-maker for all merchandise?
Now, on the pricing… I’ve said it countless times: Karen wants the Michael Jackson brand to exist only in the high-end merchandise market. And in today’s world, where so many people are struggling just to make ends meet, it feels tone-deaf and exclusionary. I’m happy for those of you who see “this as a step in the right direction” and can afford these premium products but what about the low-income fans? Can we not have a simple MJ t-shirt at Primark or Target again, something fans can grab for £25 or less?
Also, the timing didn’t go unnoticed! This announcement came just one day after the biopic was originally set to be released worldwide. Like I mentioned in earlier merch posts, I figured some deals were already signed and products were going to drop regardless of the film’s delay.
What really made me laugh though was the line “the wait is over!” Oh, Karen… we didn’t even know this collab existed. No one was waiting for it!
Anyway, if you’re able to grab something from the collection, enjoy! And if not—treat yourself to a good chocolate egg and enjoy reading this instead. 
