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 and Carol Burnett among them. 

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. 

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!"