KEY POINT
- Bob Mackie died Sept. 14 at age 87, according to a statement posted on his Instagram account.
- His five decade career included work with Cher, Carol Burnett, Diana Ross, Tina Turner and Barbra Streisand.
- Mackie earned nine Emmy Awards, three Oscar nominations and a Tony during his distinguished career.
Mackie’s team announced his death on Instagram on Sept. 14, saying he had fulfilled his lifelong ambition of becoming a fashion and costume designer. The statement also said his designs would continue to bring beauty to the world.
Born in 1939 in Monterey Park, California, Mackie developed an interest in drawing while growing up and later turned that talent into a career in entertainment. His early professional work involved creating costume sketches before actress and singer Mitzi Gaynor gave him a major opportunity with her Las Vegas revue.
That breakthrough expanded into television work. Mackie later designed costumes for Gaynor’s television specials and earned Emmy Awards for her 1976 and 1978 programs. His career took another major step when he became the costume designer for The Carol Burnett Show, creating wardrobes for the long-running series from 1967 to 1978.
Mackie’s work with Cher became one of the defining partnerships of his career. The two first crossed paths through The Carol Burnett Show, and he subsequently designed for The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. Their collaboration produced some of the singer’s most recognizable stage and red-carpet appearances.
One of their most memorable moments came at the 1986 Academy Awards, when Cher wore Mackie’s revealing, sequined outfit with a dramatic feathered headpiece. Mackie later recalled that he had initially questioned whether she should wear the look, but acknowledged that Cher understood exactly how to command attention.
Mackie worked across television, film, stage and celebrity performance, designing for performers including Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Liza Minnelli, Barbra Streisand, Ann-Margret and Bette Midler.
His approach emphasized elaborate costumes, vibrant colors, luxurious fabrics and intricate details rather than conventional everyday fashion.
He also explored fashion outside entertainment, launching a ready-to-wear collection in 1982 and creating collectible Barbie dolls featuring elaborate Mackie-inspired designs.
According to PEOPLE, Mackie received 32 Emmy nominations and won nine, while also earning three Oscar nominations for Lady Sings the Blues, Funny Lady and Pennies From Heaven. He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2002.
His career ultimately made him one of entertainment’s most recognizable costume designers, with his work helping performers create distinctive characters and memorable visual identities across decades of television, music and film.
