Bob Mackie, the Monterey Park\u2013born costume designer whose sequined and feathered visions dressed Cher, Diana Ross, Dolly Parton and Beyonc\u00e9, 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.<\/p>\n
Internationally renowned as the King of Camp, Mackie fashioned elaborate, sparkling and fringed creations for pop culture superstars including Cher, Diana Ross, Dolly Parton, Beyonc\u00e9 and Miley Cyrus. Cheryl Ladd once called wearing a Mackie garment a \u201cserene experience.\u201d \u201cThere are some bones and things holding it up and underneath there are weights to keep it down,\u201d Ladd told The Times in 1985, adding that the inner waistband held \u201cbefore dinner, during dinner and after dinner hooks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mackie\u2019s designs amplified performance: flowing pliss\u00e9 wings for Tina Turner, classy evening gowns and out-of-the-box costumes throughout The Carol Burnett Show<\/em>, 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. \u201cBob has gone up to heaven. Knowing him, he\u2019s bringing Sequins, Beads, & his sketch pad,\u201d Cher posted, later adding, \u201cGood nite sweet Prince.\u201d Carol Burnett wrote, \u201cThere are fashion designers who don\u2019t do costumes and there are costume designers who don\u2019t do fashion. Bob did it all. There was no one like him.\u201d<\/p>\n Born Robert Gordon Mackie on March 24, 1939, he began in television and film in the 1960s and broke through in the mid \u201960s when Mitzi Gaynor commissioned him for a new look\u2014work that led to his 11-season tenure on The Carol Burnett Show<\/em> and deep collaborations with Cher across The Cher Show<\/em>, music videos and concert tours. Over the decades he collected nine Emmy Awards, three Academy Award nominations (including for Barbra Streisand\u2019s Funny Lady<\/em>) and a Tony Award.<\/p>\n 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<\/em> with Bernadette Peters, Minnelli On Minnelli<\/em> with Liza Minnelli, and Moon Over Buffalo<\/em> and Putting It Together<\/em> with Burnett. Earlier, he sketched the white gown Marilyn Monroe wore to sing \u201cHappy Birthday\u201d 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 \u201980s with lingerie, fine jewelry and fragrances, and created Barbie dolls for Mattel. He entered the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences\u2019 Hall of Fame in 2002 and was the subject of the 2024 documentary Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion<\/em>.<\/p>\n 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. \u201cHe lived his 87 years to the fullest\u2026 His genius and extraordinary designs will live on forever,\u201d read the Instagram tribute. As Mitzi Gaynor\u2019s page put it: \u201cHe leaves an enormous and enduring legacy across every facet of entertainment. Bravo, Bob, and thank you.\u201d<\/p>\nA career that spanned stages, screens and runways<\/h2>\n