Bob Mackie, the costume designer whose rhinestone-studded, feather-crowned creations defined the visual language of American showbiz for more than five decades, died Monday at the age of 87. [1] His passing was announced on his Instagram account: "It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Mr. Bob Mackie passed away today. He lived his 87 years to the fullest, fulfilling his dream of being a Fashion and Costume Designer, which is all he ever wanted to do. His genius and extraordinary designs will live on forever, continuing to bring beauty into this world." [1]

A Career Built on Spectacle

Born Robert Gordon Mackie on March 24, 1940, in Monterey Park, California, he studied at Pasadena City College and the Chouinard Art Institute before launching his career in 1961 as a sketch artist. [2] His earliest mentors were two giants of the craft: Jean Louis, the Golden Age Hollywood designer, and Edith Head, who won eight Academy Awards for costume design. [1][2] It was during this apprenticeship period that Mackie sketched the flesh-colored beaded gown that Jean Louis ultimately constructed for Marilyn Monroe to wear when she sang "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden in 1962. [2]

His first major independent break came in 1966, when singer-dancer Mitzi Gaynor enlisted him to design costumes for her Las Vegas revue. [2] Carol Burnett saw the results and immediately recruited him for her new CBS variety program — a partnership that would span all 11 seasons of The Carol Burnett Show and yield an estimated 17,000 individual pieces. [2] Burnett wrote in the introduction to the 1999 book Unmistakably Mackie that he "saved me and many a comedy sketch by coming up with wonderfully funny character outfits that not only enhanced the writing but many times gave me the clue as to what the character I was playing was all about." [2]

The Curtain Rod and the Mohawk

Two creations above all others became cultural touchstones. The first was the "curtain rod" Scarlett O'Hara dress — a parody of the iconic green velvet drapery gown from Gone With the Wind — that Burnett wore in a sketch called "Went With the Wind!" [2] Mackie acknowledged in a 2000 interview with the Archive of American Television that the piece would be "forever associated with his legacy." [1]

The second was the ensemble Cher wore to the 1986 Academy Awards: black stretch pants, a bejeweled loincloth, knee-high boots, a black chain-link top, and a towering feathered Mohawk headdress. [2] The look drew gasps and headlines in equal measure. Reflecting on it years later, Mackie told Variety in 2021 that the dress had since been loaned to the Academy Museum for exhibition, and that its cultural and monetary value had grown enormously. [1] "She liked turning heads, and she liked for people to disapprove," Mackie said of Cher in a 2005 interview with The Wall Street Journal. [2]

The two collaborators worked together for 40 years. [2] Mackie explained in the Archive of American Television interview how their signature style evolved organically: "We started showing off her midriff because she had — she still has — the most incredible torso. It's long-waisted and beautiful, and she looks really good that way. And so it became, what part of her body are we going to show in this dress and that dress and every week, it got to be, you know, try to top yourself." [1] Cher paid tribute on social media following the news of his death, writing: "My dear Bob has gone up to heaven. Knowing him, he's bringing Sequins, Beads, & his sketch pad. Good nite sweet Prince." [2]

Awards and Milestones

Mackie's trophy case reflected the breadth of his work across mediums. He earned three Oscar nominations — for Lady Sings the Blues (1972), Funny Lady (1975), and Pennies From Heaven — and accumulated more than 30 Emmy nominations, winning nine times. [1] Among his Emmy wins were honors for Cher: Live in Concert From Las Vegas in 1999 and Cher: The Farewell Tour in 2003. [2] He and his longtime partner Ray Aghayan also received the first-ever Emmy awarded for costume design, for the 1966 NBC special Alice Through the Looking Glass. [2]

In 2002, he became the first costume designer inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. [1] In 2019, he received a Tony Award for costuming the Broadway production The Cher Show, dressing Stephanie J. Block and the rest of the cast. [2]

Beyond Cher and Burnett, his client list reads like a roll call of American entertainment royalty: Whitney Houston, Bette Midler, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Joan Rivers, Barbara Eden, and Mitzi Gaynor. [1] He also designed extravagant stage looks for Elton John, the Jackson Five, and Robert Goulet. [1]

Beyond the Stage

Mackie was equally at home in unexpected corners of popular culture. He designed costumes for John Travolta in Staying Alive and contributed to the notorious Star Wars Holiday Special. [1] In 1982, he began designing a line of Barbie dolls — featuring oversized headdresses and ornate sequined gowns — that became highly sought-after collectors' items. [2] He also built consumer brands through QVC and extended his aesthetic into luggage and home furnishings. [1][2]

Most recently, his work appeared as a narrative device in the final season of Hacks, in which Jean Smart's character sought the perfect outfit for a Madison Square Garden performance. Mackie personally assisted the show's costume designer in recreating a famous Carol Burnett jumpsuit for the storyline. [1]

A Life in Full

Mackie collaborated for decades with Ray Aghayan, his professional and life partner, who died in October 2011. [2] He was previously married from 1960 to 1963 to singer Lulu Porter; their son, Robin Mackie, died of AIDS-related causes in 1994. [2]

Despite being embraced by the fashion world because of the celebrities he dressed, Mackie always insisted on a clear-eyed self-assessment. "Because of the women I dressed, I was kind of dragged into the fashion world, which was fine," he said, "but the fashion press never really liked me." [2] He preferred the term costume designer — a craftsman in service of performance and spectacle. "You want the audience to be surprised when they walk out," he said. "You want them to swoon or ooh or ahh or clap — all of that is important, it's part of the business of show business." [2]

What to Watch

Tributes from the entertainment community are expected to continue in the coming days. The Academy Museum's current exhibition, which includes the 1986 Oscars gown on loan from Mackie's estate, may draw renewed public attention. Whether any formal retrospective or memorial event will be organized has not yet been announced.