Bob Mackie, the renowned fashion designer whose striking Hollywood aesthetic epitomized glamour in the 1970s—most notably dressing Carol Burnett in her most outrageous outfits and Cher in her most daring ensembles—passed away on Monday at the age of 87.
“He lived his 87 years to the fullest, achieving his lifelong aspiration of becoming a fashion and costume designer, which was his ultimate dream,” read a message on his social media.
“His brilliance and remarkable creations will endure, perpetuating beauty in this world.”
Mackie succumbed to pneumonia in Palm Springs, California, as confirmed by his publicist.
Known as the “Designer to the Stars,” Mackie garnered nine Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and received three Oscar nominations, one of which was for Barbra Streisand’s Funny Lady, featuring a striking sheer batwing gown. He was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 2002.
New generations of female pop stars have turned to Mackie’s designs to make a fashion statement, including, from left, Sabrina Carpenter at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, Pink performing at 2010 Grammy Awards and Miley Cyrus at the 2024 Grammys. (Noam Galai/Getty for MTV, Matt Sayles/The Associated Press, Kevin Winter/Getty for The Recording Academy)
His creations adorned the likes of Madonna, Streisand, Sharon Stone, Diana Ross, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, along with concert outfits for Pink.
In 1962, when Marilyn Monroe delivered a sultry rendition of Happy Birthday to U.S. President John F. Kennedy at a fundraising event, she wore a sheer, beaded gown that Mackie had imagined in a sketch.
Influence felt today
His impact is evident in the styles of contemporary stars like Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid. Current fashion icons such as Anya Taylor-Joy, Miley Cyrus, and Zendaya have been spotted in his archival designs, with Zendaya donning a Mackie gown to pay tribute to Cher at the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Taylor Swift also chose to feature Mackie originals for the cover of her upcoming 2025 album The Life of a Showgirl.
Inductee Cher and Zendaya speak onstage during the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland on Oct. 19, 2024. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images for The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame)
Sequins and embellishments were second nature to Mackie, who was known by several nicknames, including the Sultan of Sequins, the Rajah of Rhinestones, and the Guru of Glitter. He had a straightforward philosophy: “You don’t try to change anybody; you just try to make them look better than ever,” he shared with The Associated Press in 2018.
Tributes poured in from fellow designers and those fortunate enough to wear his creations. Actress Kristin Chenoweth referred to him as a “legend,” while designer Isaac Mizrahi expressed his sorrow, stating he was “heartbroken.” Actress Alyssa Milano honored him as “one of the best that ever was,” and Canadian model Mikhaila (Coco) Rocha remarked that “his garments exuded wit, drama, fantasy, and joy.”
On Broadway, Mackie outfitted the casts of On the Town in 1971 and Moon Over Buffalo in 1995. He also crafted costumes for Burnett in the revue Putting It Together, Debbie Reynolds in Debbie in 1976, Liza Minnelli in Minnelli on Minnelli in 1999, and most recently, the ensemble of The Cher Show, for which he won his Tony Award.
Mackie arrives with Diana Ross to New York’s Lincoln Center for the 20th Annual American Fashion Awards on June 14, 2001. That night, Ross presented Mackie a ‘special award for his fashion exuberance’ from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. (Darla Khazei/The Associated Press)
Mackie hailed from Southern California and was captivated by the allure of Hollywood glamour from a young age, drawing inspiration from Technicolor musicals. He would envision elaborate costumes for his mother and sister, sketching them, and he participated in costume and set design for high school productions.
He pursued studies in advertising and illustration at Pasadena City College, followed by costume design at L.A.’s Chouinard Art Institute.
A fan of the variety shows and pop stars of the 1950s and ’60s, particularly their dazzling wardrobes, he began working for costume designer Edith Head before landing a role on The Carol Burnett Show.
Mackie joined Dick Van Dyke, left, in saluting Carol Burnett, centre, as she was honoured in 2024 at the TCL Chinese Theatre. Mackie famously created whimsical and hilarious costumes for The Carol Burnett Show throughout the beloved variety show’s entire run. (Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
Collaborations with Cher, Carol Burnett
Mackie shared a close bond with Burnett and collaborated on unforgettable characters like Nora Desmond, Eunice, and her interpretation of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind—dubbed Starlet O’Hara, who famously wore her green curtain dress complete with rods. (Starlet’s dress is now housed in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.)
“I love creating humorous pieces,” Mackie stated in a 1999 interview with the AP. “One week I might have to design Carol as an unattractive postal worker, and who knows what the next week will bring.”
His television contributions continued on The Sonny & Cher Show after Cher appeared as a guest on Burnett’s program and took a liking to him. He once remarked that her Laverne character, adorned with a leopard-print jumpsuit and dangling earrings, was among his favorites.
As Cher transitioned into films and attended the Academy Awards, Mackie’s designs took a more provocative turn. The beaded, midriff-baring outfits she donned on the red carpet were all creations of Mackie.
Mackie accompanied Cher to the 1974 Met Gala, where she wore what is perhaps one of the most iconic “naked dresses”: a sheer beaded gown featuring white feathered sleeves and a feathered skirt. This ensemble earned a spot on the cover of Time magazine.
Cher, seen after presenting actor Don Ameche an Oscar in 1986, made an indelible splash in another flamboyant Mackie creation. (Lennox McLendon/The Associated Press)
The memorable 1986 beaded spiderweb design, paired with a complementary Mohawk, as well as the nearly-nude gown she wore when winning the best actress Oscar in 1988, turned heads and sparked conversations at the time.
“The outfits are sometimes mistaken for fashion, but they’re really costumes, akin to those for a character in a play,” Mackie expressed to the AP in 1999. “I want people to enjoy themselves. I want them to say, ‘Wasn’t that fascinating?’ or ‘Wasn’t that outrageous?'”
Cher favoured Mackie’s creations, including at the Academy Awards. She wore a daring black-sequined Mackie gown in 1988 when she won the Oscar for best actress for Moonstruck. (Lennox McLendon/The Associated Press)
A dress Mackie designed for Cher in 1975 was auctioned off in 2024 for $101,600 US—25 times its initial estimate.
Unimpressed with more recent fashion
Bob Mackie expressed mixed feelings about the contemporary trend of naked dresses.
In the 1980s and ’90s, Mackie enjoyed retail success, launching a ready-to-wear line in 1982 that eventually featured on the runway at New York Fashion Week, along with being an early collaborator with QVC.
However, as naked dresses gained further popularity, Mackie became disenchanted later in life. “Watching awards shows, I often think, ‘Oh, cover up! Put it away! Honey, I don’t need to see all of that!’ It becomes so vulgar that you don’t even want to look anymore,” he remarked to the Hollywood Reporter in 2024.
“I found myself bored while watching the Met Gala—everyone exposing everything, the same repetitive style—I turned it off. If you’ve seen one Kardashian, you’ve seen them all. And we have seen all of them.”
Ahead of a London auction in 2018, Mackie poses with two of his designs worn by Cher: a scarlet red satin gown worn in 1975, right, and a marigold jersey jumpsuit worn between 1971-1976. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/The Associated Press)
Mackie was also responsible for creating numerous Barbie dolls for Mattel, showcasing a variety of face designs, body types, and narratives. He is recognized as the first designer to produce a fully designed doll. One of his creations was Lady Dracula Cher, complete with tiny fangs and a coffin-like box.
“I always aimed to make Barbie unique,” he explained to the Hollywood Reporter. “She wasn’t just a secretary, a waitress, or someone’s mother. She represented something most young girls could never become. Why would anyone want to look at the ordinary at 11 inches tall? Or any height? Normal doesn’t resonate with me.”
Among his accolades, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. The documentary Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion premiered in 2024.
Mackie was married to showgirl Lulu Porter from 1960 until 1963; his son, makeup artist Robert Gordon Mackie Jr., passed away from AIDS at 35. His longtime partner, costume designer Ray Aghayan, died in 2011.
He noted that practicality was never his primary concern in design; instead, he was captivated by the fantasies that clothing could evoke: “It’s all about looking fabulous and living your dreams.”
In 2017, a 71-year-old Cher once again made headlines, wearing two of Mackie’s iconic designs at the Billboard Music Awards. It was reminiscent of a bygone era, in stark contrast to the uninspired fashion landscape he perceived.
“Nothing seems particularly exciting anymore,” he shared with Vogue in 2017. “You keep encountering the same styles repeatedly, and there are no surprises left. Regrettably, true fashion appears to be in short supply nowadays.”