RIP, Bob Mackie

Today, the world of fashion and costume design lost one of its greats: Bob Mackie. 

Bob Mackie, 1939-2026

Mackie grew up in California and studied fashion design at the Chouinard Art Institute for a year before landing a job with Paramount Studios, working there from 1960-1963 as a sketcher, novice designer, and assistant to a designer. Legendary costume designer Edith Head recruited him to work on several films for her in 1963, with Mackie later commenting that she taught him not only how to design, but also how to manage working with the various producers, directors, and actors involved in a production. He also worked as a sketch artist for designer Jean Louis during that period, sketching designs for Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe, among others. 

In the late 1960s, he designed for Mitzi Gaynor and Diana Ross, for both stage and television work, and in the 1970s he designed costumes for several Las Vegas burlesque shows, firmly establishing himself as the "Sultan of Sequins" and the "Rajah of Rhinestones" with his over-the-top, sparkling, eye-catching, elaborate designs. In the 1980s, he designed outrageous looks for performers like Cher, Elton John, and Whitney Houston. But he was also capable of reining in his style, serving as the costume designer for the entire run of The Carol Burnett Show from 1967-1978, designing not only Burnett's and her guests' glamorous evening gowns, but everything in the sketches from Mrs. Wiggins' tight skirt to Mama's baggy house dress and apron to the famous "curtain gown" from Went with the Wind.

"I saw it in the window and I just couldn't resist it."

Let's take a look at some of his most iconic creations, worn by some of his most iconic muses. 

Cher

Cher, on the arm of then-husband Sonny Bono, at the 1973 Academy Awards, wearing a sheer white two-piece Mackie design. 

For the 1974 Met Gala, Cher, accompanied by Mackie, wore his sheer gold gown with feather accents on the flared sleeves and hem. Cher was also featured wearing this look on the cover of both Time and Vogue magazines. 

For her 1979 music video, "Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do," Cher channeled Cleopatra in this barely-there Mackie look consisting mostly of a large collar, ankle and wrist cuffs, and a giant headpiece. 

Cher attended the 1986 Academy Awards in this belly-baring spiderweb design, which included a showgirl-style feather headpiece. She had failed to receive a nomination for her role in "Mask," but presented the Best Supporting Actor Award, commenting wryly, "As you can see, I did receive my Academy booklet on how to dress like a serious actress."

In 1988, Cher launched a new fragrance and celebrated by wearing another Cleopatra-inspired Mackie design to a Halloween party. 

Cher wore this black-and-gold Mackie gown with yet another huge feathered headpiece to perform the song "Bang Bang" during her 2002 tour. 


Diana Ross

Ross wore this sumptuous velvet and feather Mackie design to sing Mame during her 1969 television special, "G.I.T. (Gettin' It Together) on Broadway." 

Mackie had designed this sheer fishnet bodysuit, encrusted with beads and sequins and accessorized with layered oversized beaded necklaces, in 1970, and Ross wore it for the cover of her 1974 album, "Everything is Everything." 

Ross wore this flame-colored, body-hugging strapless sequined Mackie gown for a 1999 photo shoot. 

Ross walked the red carpet at the 2001 CFDA Awards wearing a strapless purple and silver sequined Mackie gown topped with a voluminous purple feather wrap. 

Carol Burnett

In a 1970 episode of The Carol Burnett Show, with Jim Nabors as the guest star, Burnett wore a Mackie-designed white v-neck halter gown with a pleated skirt, accessorized with a rhinestone-and-bead belt. 

For Burnett's character of "Nora Desmond" in a 1973 spoof of Sunset Boulevard, Mackie took Gloria Swanson's original look and amped it up with plenty of volume and feather trim. 

Cher was a regular guest on The Carol Burnett Show, and the two frequently sang together wearing matching (or at least coordinating) Mackie creations. 

Whitney Houston

This dark gold beaded, bloused gown was the epitome of early '90s style. Houston wore it to perform at the 1991 Billboard Music Awards.  

Houston wore Mackie's leopard print wrap gown during many of her performances in the 1990s. 

Sadly, there do not seem to be any photos of Houston wearing this white Mackie dress with gold mesh overlay bodice, but she wore it during her 1993 The Bodyguard tour. 

Tina Turner

Turner wore this pale gold pleated angel wing Mackie design for a photo shoot in 1977. It represented her "spreading her wings" after leaving her abusive husband. 

Turner performed in this vivid orange showgirl-inspired Mackie ensemble in 1978. Sometimes called the "flame dress," it has been worn by multiple other celebrities, including Cher, Linda Carter, Beyonce, and RuPaul. 

Mackie often collaborated with the women he dressed, so the final product was sometimes different from his original sketch, as in this sheer spangled look he created for Turner in 2008. 

Elton John

Performing on The Cher Show in 1975 (top), John wore a metallic silver jacket with an oversized quilted collar and a spangled hat designed by Mackie. Cher's lavish outfits had inspired John to reach out to Mackie, who went on to design many of John's performance looks, including this silver-and-white bellbottom jumpsuit (bottom), accessorized with a fur-trimmed sequined cape and spangled "deely-bopper" headpiece, also worn in 1975. 

During John's 1986 World Tour, he wore multiple outfits designed by Mackie, including this wild red-and-gold metallic jacket paired with funky-shaped bright blue glasses and a large fauxhawk-style headpiece.

Pink

Mackie designed a Freddie Mercury tribute look for Pink's Funhouse Tour in 2009, which she wore to sing Bohemian Rhapsody. 

Pink appeared at the 2010 Grammys in a sheer Mackie unitard with strategically placed silver ribbons and multicolored sequins. 

In 2022, Pink attended the American Music Awards in this gold-and-black fringed Mackie halter dress with a lightning bolt cutout in the front. 

The Next Generation: Archival Looks Brought Back By Younger Performers

Zendaya stunned in this strapless green-and-black silk and velvet Mackie gown (from his fall 1998 collection) at the 2022 Time 100 Gala. 

Zendaya paid tribute to both Cher and Mackie when she wore this 2001 archival gown (right) to the 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, at which Cher was inducted (Cher had worn a similar Mackie gown in 1972, left). 

Sabrina Carpenter wore this Mackie design (right), originally worn by Cher on The Cher Show in 1975 (left), to her VMAs after-party in 2025. 

Ariana Grande wore this yellow, orange, and gold crepe Mackie halter dress on Saturday Night Live in 2025 (right), 52 years after Carol Burnett wore in on The Carol Burnett Show in 1973 (left). 

Miley Cyrus wore this stunning black-and-silver fringed Mackie gown to perform at the 2024 Grammy Awards. 

Sabrina Carpenter wore an archival silvery-white Mackie gown to the 2024 VMAs (top). The gown had previously been worn by Madonna at the 1991 Academy Awards (bottom). Mackie had designed it after looks worn by Marilyn Monroe. 

With all these archival looks still in circulation, and new designers continued to be inspired by Mackie's thousands of creations, his influence will continue to be felt by the fashion world for decades to come. 

Thank you, Mr. Mackie.