A plaque in the lobby of the Don CeSar greets guests.
An Appropriate Arrival
An Appropriate Sunset
The Don CeSar opened in the heyday of the Gatsby Era in 1928. The Don CeSar has been welcoming travelers for nearly a century. From high society's playground to starring on the silver screen to being a Gulf Coast icon, the Don CeSar boasts a rich and glamorous history.
Lore and local history state that Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio stayed at the hotel. Stories often claim they visited or honeymooned there during Joe DiMaggio's spring training days with the New York Yankees.
Research also mentions Lou Gehrig and Al Capone where guests of the hotel.
Over its history, the resort has served as a celebrity playground, a military hospital and government offices. A community effort saved the hotel from demolition in the late 1960s, leading to its reopening in 1973.
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Bob Mackie
(1939-2026)
Robert Gordon Mackie, Jr. was an American fashion designer best known for his dressing of numerous entertainment personalities for television, movies, concerts and live stage shows. He was referred to as the "Sultan of Sequins" for his sparkling and imaginative designs.
"A woman who wears my clothes is not afraid to be noticed."
Bob Mackie
Ann-Margret
Tina Turner
Diana!
And, of course!
CHER
Bob Mackie and Cher shared a legendary decades-long partnership and close friendship that transformed modern pop culture and red-carpet fashion. They met in 1967 when Cher guest-starred on The Carol Burnett Show and Mackie was the lead costume designer. Cher remarked that Mackie was much younger than she expected, while Mackie thought she was much thinner, starting an instant bond. On The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, Mackie initially used clothes from Carol Burnett's closet to dress Cher because the show had no budget.
Mackie became the creative mastermind behind Cher's most provocative, glamorous and skin-baring looks. Mackie credied Cher with making the halter dress mainstream after she wore his daring designs on television. He designed her famous sheer, sequined-and-feathered 1974 Met Gala dress, the midriff-baring 1986 Oscar outfit with a giant feathered headpiece and her 2015 and 2017 award show looks.
Cher frequently called their creative pairing a "match made in heaven" and the two remained close friends for nearly six decades.
Bob Mackie dressed many other legends .. Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Bette Midler, Elton John, Dolly Parton, Barbra Streisand, Rachel Welch and Carol Burnett among them.
Streisand in Funny Lady
Circa 1975
Marilyn Monroe
"Happy Birthday Mr. President"
Circa 1962
The legendary costume designer Jean Louis designed Marilyn Monroe's famous "Happy Birthday, Mr. Presdent" dress, but a young 23-year-old Bob Mackie drew the iconic initial stretch for it. Monroe asked Louis for a sheer, skin-tight gown that made her look like she was wearaing a "second skin". As Entertainment Weekly reported, Mackie later gained widespread attention when he criticized modern attempts to re-wear the legendary $5 million gown, noting it was custom-make exclusively for Marilyn Monroe. It was Kim Kardashian who wore the gown to a Met Gala in 2022. It provoked a polarizing response.
Kardashian wore the original gown for approximately 5 minutes on the red carpet only to walk up the runway and then changed into an exact replica for the rest of the evening so as to not cause any more unnecessary strain to the 60-year-old dress, at the time. Kardashian used a private fitting room with white-gloved handlers near the Met Gala steps.
Sidenote: The fragile, un-stretchable crystal-covered gown did not fit Kardashian initially, prompting her to lose 16 pounds in three weeks to squeeze into it.
May 19, 1962
Madison Square Gardens
New York City
"It was designed for her. I thought it was a big mistake. Marilyn was a goddess. A crazy goddess, but a goddess. She was just fabulous. Nobody photographs like that. And it was done for her. It was designed for her. Nobody else should be seen in that dress."
Bob Mackie
"There are all the issues with the actual preservation of the dress and things like oxygen can affect a dress. Usually, these outfits are kept very much in controlled environments. So, it was quite alarming that she was able to wear it. I personally wish she wore a replica instead of the real thing."
Alicia Malone, host for Turner Classic Movies (TCM)
Madonna
Rachel Welch and Cher
Carol Burnett and Cher
Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball
The infamous curtain rod dress
Carol Burnett's iconic curtain rod dress was created for a November 13, 1976 The Carol Burnett Show sketch titled "Went with the Wind!" which spoofed the famous green velvet drapery dress scene from the 1939 film Gone with the Wind.
Legendary Bob Mackie crafted the green velvet gown, complete with a hat made from a window valance and an actual brass curtain rod balanced across the shoulders. When Burnett first saw the finished costume with the curtain rod still attached during a fitting, she fell on the floor laughing and called it the most brilliant visual sight gag in television history. When Burnett descended the staircase in the outfit and delivered the deadpan line, "I saw it in a window and just couldn't resist it", the studio audience erupted! The live audience's laughter lasted so long, stretching over several minutes, it holds the record for the longest sustained laugh in the entire ten-year run of the show and had to be edited down for broadcast.
The complete original costume, curtain rod and all is safely preserved in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
On March 3 1995, Carol Burnett appeared on Today to discuss the curtain dress sketch from The Carole Burnett Show. In the interview, Burnett shared the inspiration for the sketch and how Bob mackie designed the dress.
"I have an idea."
Bob Mackie
"It's absolute genius."
Carol Burnett
Mattel partnered with him to produce outfits for collectable Barbie dolls and he introduced cultural diversity to their features and outfits to reflect the heritage of real-life women. Mackie received ten Emmy Awards, a Tony Award and three nominations for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design for his work.
Following Mackie's death on September 14, 2026, Cher paid a loving tribute on social media calling him a "sweet prince" and later shared fond memories of laughing and talking with him during his final days.
RIP Bob Mackie
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 be. His genius and extraordinary designs will live on forever, continuing to bring beauty into this world.
"The angels will be getting a new wardrobe now!"
Monday, September 14, 2026
Part III
Edith Head Design Sketches
Edith Head's favorite actress to dress was Grace Kelly.
To Catch a Thief
Circa 1955
Hedy Lamarr
Samson and Delilah
Circa 1949
Olivia de Havilland
The Heiress
Circa 1949
A stunning Edith Head creation
Audrey Hepburn
Sabrina
Circa 1954
Lucille Ball
The Facts of Life
Circa 1960
Kim Novak
Vertigo
Circa 1958
"I don't usually get into battles, but dressing Kim Novak for her role in Vertigo put to the test all my training in psychology."
Edith Head
Tippi Hedren
The Birds
Circa 1963
Bette Davis
All About Eve
Circa 1950
Sunday, September 13, 2026
Part II
Audrey Hepburn
Roman Holiday
Circa 1953
Audrey Hepburn
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Circa 1961
Elizabeth Taylor
A Place in the Sun
Circa 1951
Elizabeth Taylor
A Place in the Sun
Circa 1951
Grace Kelly
Rear Window
Circa 1954
"I've dressed thousands of actors and actresses, but whenever I a asked which star is my personal favorite, I answer, 'Grace Kelly'. She is a charming lady, a most gifted actress and, to me, a valued friend."
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