Bob Mackie, the Monterey Park–born costume designer whose sequined and feathered visions dressed Cher, Diana Ross, Dolly Parton and Beyoncé, died Monday at 87. A tribute on his official Instagram page confirmed his death, and his publicist told the Associated Press he died in Palm Springs from pneumonia.
Sequins, feathers, and a singular showman’s eye
Internationally renowned as the King of Camp, Mackie fashioned elaborate, sparkling and fringed creations for pop culture superstars including Cher, Diana Ross, Dolly Parton, Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus. Cheryl Ladd once called wearing a Mackie garment a “serene experience.” “There are some bones and things holding it up and underneath there are weights to keep it down,” Ladd told The Times in 1985, adding that the inner waistband held “before dinner, during dinner and after dinner hooks.”
Mackie’s designs amplified performance: flowing plissé wings for Tina Turner, classy evening gowns and out-of-the-box costumes throughout The Carol Burnett Show, and, for Cher, a leather jacket with a revealing mesh bodysuit that challenged conventions. His memorable work has been codified in fashion history halls including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Bob has gone up to heaven. Knowing him, he’s bringing Sequins, Beads, & his sketch pad,” Cher posted, later adding, “Good nite sweet Prince.” Carol Burnett wrote, “There are fashion designers who don’t do costumes and there are costume designers who don’t do fashion. Bob did it all. There was no one like him.”
A career that spanned stages, screens and runways
Born Robert Gordon Mackie on March 24, 1939, he began in television and film in the 1960s and broke through in the mid ’60s when Mitzi Gaynor commissioned him for a new look—work that led to his 11-season tenure on The Carol Burnett Show and deep collaborations with Cher across The Cher Show, music videos and concert tours. Over the decades he collected nine Emmy Awards, three Academy Award nominations (including for Barbra Streisand’s Funny Lady) and a Tony Award.
His reach was wide: gowns for Diana Ross and the Supremes; looks for Joan Rivers, Madonna and Elton John; Broadway designs for On the Town with Bernadette Peters, Minnelli On Minnelli with Liza Minnelli, and Moon Over Buffalo and Putting It Together with Burnett. Earlier, he sketched the white gown Marilyn Monroe wore to sing “Happy Birthday” to President Kennedy at a 1962 fundraiser. Trained at Pasadena City College and the Chouinard Art Institute, he worked under Edith Head, ventured into retail in the ’80s with lingerie, fine jewelry and fragrances, and created Barbie dolls for Mattel. He entered the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Hall of Fame in 2002 and was the subject of the 2024 documentary Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion.
He was married to Lulu Porter from 1960 to 1963; their son, makeup artist Robert Gordon Mackie Jr., died at 35. Costume designer Ray Aghayan, his longtime partner, died in 2011. “He lived his 87 years to the fullest… His genius and extraordinary designs will live on forever,” read the Instagram tribute. As Mitzi Gaynor’s page put it: “He leaves an enormous and enduring legacy across every facet of entertainment. Bravo, Bob, and thank you.”
Vía latimes.com
