Some throwbacks age beautifully, and this is one of them.

Back in 2021, I put together one of my favourite shoots for my blog series Styling with Pop-Culture Influence. My take on channelling Michael Jackson through a modest fashion lens. With the MJ biopic Michael releasing in UAE cinemas on April 22, 2026, this felt like exactly the right time to bring it back.

The Look

For this look, I used MJ as my style inspiration, trying to capture his iconic aesthetic through a modest wardrobe. I found a structured red military-style jacket that carried that Thriller-era energy, paired it with a white top, slim black trousers, and two-toned laced oxfords. The leather fingerless gloves and black fedora pulled the whole look together and gave it that unmistakable MJ personality.

The accessories did the heavy lifting here: the metallic chain necklace, the black fedora, and the studded fingerless leather gloves that gave the whole look its MJ signature. That is always the lesson with creative styling: the details transform everything.

The Bigger Idea

You do not need a stylist or a runway to have a great wardrobe. You just need a vision. Pop culture is one of the easiest places to find that inspiration. A musician, a film, an era you love: use it as your starting point and style around it. Modest fashion is creative fashion, and this shoot was my proof of that.

Cannot wait to see Michael in cinemas on April 22. A full-circle moment for every MJ fan in Dubai.