Balmain inspiration spotted in Balmain

ONTD

Fashion critics have been busy clocking comparisons between Christophe Decarnin’s rock trash relaunch of Balmain and Michael 'King of Pop' Jackson. On September 28, Style.com’s Sarah Mower noted the “Drummer-boy Michael Jackson jackets with the frogging picked out in crystal” in Balmain's Spring 2009 collection. On March 22, in a FW0910 wrapup, The LA Times’ Booth Moore suggested that if money is no object, punters should “Go for the Michael Jackson look at Balmain, the crystal-studded jackets and disco mini-dresses. Or buy the real thing at the Jackson memorabilia auction in Beverly Hills next month”. Thanks to the eagle runway-to-red carpet eyes of commenters over at LiveJournal's Oh No They Didn’t forum, it appears, hilariously, that that may have been a Balmain original that Jackson himself was sporting when papped in LA on April 10. Judge for yourself with this runway/pap mashup done by Red Carpet Fashion Awards - the blog's first ever runway comparison to a male celeb. The Neverland auction will take place from April 22-25 at 9900 Wilshire Boulevard. From today, the public will have one week to check out the 1390 lots before they go under the Julien’s Auctions hammer (UPDATE 15/4: auction now cancelled). What next? Joan Collins in Balenciaga FW0910?