On September 14, designer Bob Mackie passed away. While he did design clothing collections and accessories available to the masses, Mackie was best known as an icon who designed for icons.
Tina Turner, Dolly Parton, Bette Midler, Elton John, and Diana Ross were among the legendary names Mackie designed for.
The news of his death at age 87 was shared on his official Instagram page with the message:
"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."
Mackie also designed the costumes for all the performers on The Carol Burnett Show for its 11 seasons on CBS from 1967-1978.
After learning of his passing, Carol Burnett shared a message on her Instagram to pay respect to her longtime friend.
Burnett wrote:
"Sadness doesn’t come close to how I feel. I loved him very much. As for his genius, 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."
His work with Carol Burnett was iconic. Who can forget their Gone With The Wind parody curtain dress? Some can be seen here in a clip from Mackie's biography Naked Illusion.
But the star most often linked to Mackie in people's minds has been Cher.
They met in 1967 when she appeared as a guest on The Carol Burnett Show and Mackie designed her costume. After that initial collaboration, Cher continued to call on Mackie to design for her special appearances.
When she got her own variety show, she tapped him to create the glamorous wardrobe for The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, her own self-titled show, and her subsequent concert tours, television specials, and special events like the Oscars.
Cher paid tribute to her longtime friend and collaborator with a post on X that said:
"My dear Bob has gone up to heaven. Knowing him, he's bringing Sequins, Beads, & his sketch pad. Good nite sweet Prince. Luv Me"
Other stars Mackie dressed paid tribute to him as well, including Diana Ross...
...Elton John...
...Bette Midler...
...and Barbie.
In April 2023 during the Season 15 grand finale of RuPaul's Drag Race, Bob Mackie received the inaugural Giving Us Life-time Achievement Award. Mackie had appeared on the show several times as a guest judge and had designed costumes for RuPaul.
As a tribute, production company World of Wonder and their streaming platform WOW Presents Plus shared a clip of Mackie's award acceptance speech.
Drag queen and Drag Race season 13 alum Kahmora Hall, also known as the "Mackie Doll" for their love for and collection of vintage Mackie designs, shared their own tribute.
Hall also suggested the next Met Gala be a tribute to Bob Mackie.
Model Coco Rocha made the same suggestion on Bob Mackie's Instagram where she and others offered their condolences.
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Mackie's body of work won ten Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and garnered three Academy Award nominations for Best Costume Design.
Here are just some of his designs.
Rest in peace, Bob.
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