Bob Mackie, Renowned Fashion Designer to Cher, Tina Turner, Carol Burnett and More, Dies at 87 — SkimNews
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- Bob Mackie died Monday at 87, with a statement on his Instagram noting he 'lived his 87 years to the fullest, fulfilling his dream of being a Fashion and Costume Designer.'
- Mackie earned three Oscar nominations — for 'Lady Sings the Blues,' 'Funny Lady,' and 'Pennies From Heaven' — plus over 30 Emmy nominations and nine wins; in 2002 he became the first costume designer inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
- Mackie began his career as a draftsman for Jean Louis and an assistant to Edith Head before designing costumes for Carol Burnett's sketch show, including the iconic 'curtain-rod' dress from a 'Gone With the Wind' spoof that he admitted would forever define his legacy.
- Mackie designed Cher's sparkling black, midriff-baring two-piece ensemble with matching Mohawk headpiece for the 1986 Oscars, along with her looks for 'The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour,' 'Cher,' and 'The Sonny and Cher Show,' including the controversial 'seatbelt outfit.'
- Mackie dressed a sweeping roster of stars including Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Bette Midler, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Tina Turner, Joan Rivers, Mitzi Gaynor, Elton John, the Jackson Five, and Robert Goulet.
- Mackie lost his life partner, costume designer Ray Aghayan, in 2011 and his son Robin to AIDS-related causes in 1994.
- Mackie's designs appeared as a plot point in the final season of 'Hacks,' where Jean Smart's Deborah Vance sought a white jumpsuit originally worn by Carol Burnett, with Mackie helping costume designer Kathleen Felix-Hager recreate the outfit.
Why it matters: Hollywood loses the first-ever costume designer inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame (2002) — a three-time Oscar nominee with nine Emmy wins whose looks for Cher, Carol Burnett and dozens of other stars remain instantly recognizable cultural touchstones more than four decades after they first hit the screen.
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