Inside Giuseppe Zanotti's Glittering Michael Jackson Tribute
The kick-off of a diamond-studded Zanotti shoe drew a star-studded crowd including Paris Jackson.
The kick-off of a diamond-studded Zanotti shoe drew a star-studded crowd including Paris Jackson.
Text: SAMUEL ANDERSON
Michael Jackson was known for his fancy footwork, so it’s only fitting that a birthday tribute to the late prince of pop would center on a $50,000 shoe. Such was the case last night at the Giuseppe Tribute to Michael Jackson in Las Vegas, which celebrated a new limited edition fashion sneaker based on the “Number One” by Giuseppe Zanotti, a jewel-encrusted prototype inspired by Jackson's singular musical and sartorial legacy.
The event drew a pilgrimage by Jackson's closest friends and associates to Vegas's Mandalay Bay Resort, from Evan Ross Katz and Ashlee Simpson, to Jackson's children Paris and Prince, who wore a rainbow Gucci tee and embellished letterman jacket respectively. In addition to carrying on his legacy as a style icon, the Jackson kids honored their father's charitable legacy, accepting the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation Legacy Award on his behalf. The evening also included a performance by Usher and Mark Ronson, who released the aptly-named song “Diamonds are Invincible” on the same day.
Studded with 120 black diamonds and 55 rubies spelling spell out “Tribute” on the high-top’s chunky sole, the one-of-a-kind “Number One” shoe will be auctioned on November 9 and 10 and is forecasted to raise a minimum of $30,000 to $50,000 for Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, started by Jackson’s lifelong friend Elizabeth Taylor. Come October, the other 1,999 shoes will retail for $1,295 at select Giuseppe Zanotti and Neiman Marcus stores. Get a sneak-peak at the glitzy shoe, and see inside the star-studded event, below.
