Bob Mackie never let practicality get in the way of glamour. Dubbed the Sultan of Sequins, the Rajah of Rhinestones, and the Guru of Glitter, he dressed stars as if costuming characters in a play, and the results were both provocative and witty. His creations were sparkly, beaded, feathered, and often sheer or midriff-baring. Over six decades, he clothed legends like Cher, Madonna, Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, and Dolly Parton, winning 10 Emmys and one Tony and picking up three Oscar nominations. In 1962, Marilyn Monroe serenaded President John F. Kennedy with “Happy Birthday” in a bodyskimming gown Mackie worked on when he was only 22, while just last year Taylor Swift wore one of his archival pieces on an album cover. “I want people to have fun,” he said in 1999. “I want people to say, ‘Wasn’t that interesting?’ or ‘Wasn’t that wild?’”
Born in the Los Angeles suburbs, Mackie grew up in love with Hollywood glamour. Largely raised by a strict grandmother after his parents divorced, he was lonely and took to sketching. He studied costume design but dropped out to work under designer Edith Head and began dressing Mitzi Gaynor. Then he headed to The Carol Burnett Show, designing over 17,000 pieces for all the characters on all 11 seasons—including the drapery dress, complete with curtain rod, that he created for Burnett’s Scarlett O’Hara parody; it now rests in the Smithsonian. After Cher guest-starred in 1967, she brought Mackie to The Sonny & Cher Show. “Soon the pair were egging each other on to design ever more extravagant outfits,” said The Times (U.K.). At the 1974 Met Gala, Cher wore a sheer gown that landed her on the cover of Time—one of many barely there “naked dresses” he created. He stuck by Cher for decades, designing for all her tours and public appearances.
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