Bob Mackie

Robert Gordon Mackie (born March 24, 1939) is an American fashion designer and costumier, best known for his dressing of numerous entertainment personalities for television, movies, concerts, and live stage shows. He was the costume designer for all of the performers on The Carol Burnett Show during its entire eleven-year run, and the creator of memorable ensembles for Cher and Elton John.

He is referred to alternatively as the "Sultan of Sequins", the "Rajah of Rhinestones" or the "Guru of Glitter" for his sparkling and imaginative designs. Mackie has said, "A woman who wears my clothes is not afraid to be noticed."

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 has received nine Primetime Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and three nominations for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design for his work. In April 2023, Mackie was awarded with the inaugural Giving Us Life-time Achievement Award by RuPaul at the RuPaul's Drag Race Season 15 finale.

Early life Mackie was born March 24, 1939, in Monterey Park, California, to Charles Robert Mackie and Mildred Agnes ( Smith) Mackie. His father worked at Bank of America.

Mackie was raised in early childhood by his maternal grandparents in Alhambra, California because his parents divorced. By high school he moved to Rosemead, California and lived with his father. At Chouinard, Mackie studied under Eva Roberts, the head of the fashion design department. He left Chouinard early because he got his first job sketching for Frank Thompson at Paramount Studios.

Professional career In 1961, while he was working at Paramount Studios, costumer Edith Head found Mackie. He said "Edith Head taught me not so much about designing as how to handle producers, directors, and actors. Her public relations were superb." thumb In Mackie's early career he worked as a sketch artist for French haute couturier Jean Louis, who is noted for crafting stage gowns worn by actress Marlene Dietrich during her career as a cabaret singer. As one of his first assignments, he drew the original sketch of Marilyn Monroe’s dress worn in 1962 at President John F. Kennedy's birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden in New York.

In 1966, Mackie was hired by Mitzi Gaynor to design her new stage show at the Riviera in Las Vegas. Gaynor was the first star client for whom Mackie designed an entire show. During her second network special, she wore a form-fitting "nude illusion" gown made from a knit fabric called soufflé, which influenced gown construction worn by many entertainers throughout the years. He would continue to design for her television specials and live stage shows for the next 50 years. He won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for Music-Variety for Gaynor's TV specials Mitzi...Roarin' in the Twenties (1976) and Mitzi...Zings into Spring (1977).

In 1969, Mackie was hired to design costumes for Diana Ross, the Supremes, and the Temptations in the television special G.I.T. on Broadway.

Mackie designed costumes for the Las Vegas Strip–based burlesque shows Hallelujah Hollywood, which was inspired by the Ziegfeld Follies and ran at the MGM Grand (now Horseshoe Las Vegas) from 1974 to 1980, and Jubilee!, which ran from 1981 to 2016. Both productions involve intricate, elaborate costumes. Images of many of Mackie's design drawings for these productions are available for viewing online in the Donn Arden papers archive from the UNLV Libraries Digital Collections. Elton John's iconic Donald Duck, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart concert costumes were designed by Mackie.

Cher wearing Mackie outfit during 2019 tourMackie designed the exotic ensemble worn by Cher at the 58th Academy Awards in March 1986: black stretch pants, a bejeweled loincloth, knee-high boots, a black chainlink top, and a huge feathered Mohawk headdress that was one and a half times taller than her head. Introduced by Jane Fonda with the words, "Wait'll you see what's gonna come out here". "As you can see," said Cher, "I did receive my Academy booklet on how to dress like a serious actress."

Mackie designed costumes for Whitney Houston, especially splashy evening gowns which she wore for many years during concert tours and award shows. He has won nine Primetime Emmy Awards for his designs, and he has been nominated three times for an Academy Award.

In 1981, Mackie guest-starred as himself on two episodes of the television series The Love Boat. In 2002, Mackie was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

In more recent years, Mackie has been mainly known as the costume designer for Cher's elaborate outfits during her latest tours, including the Here We Go Again Tour. He created the costumes for Cher’s 2008–11 Las Vegas Cher residency at Caesars Palace, as well as for her 2017 Classic Cher shows in Las Vegas and Washington, D.C. Mackie won the Tony Award for Best Costume Design in a Musical for his work on The Cher Show in 2019.

In 2020, Mackie's dresses were featured and worn by television hostess Vanna White over the week of April 27 in the long-running syndicated game show Wheel of Fortune as part of honoring the San Francisco Bay Area.

On January 24, 2026, the Palm Springs Art Museum honored Mackie at its Art Party 2026 Gala. In connection with the Gala, the Museum exhibited Reflections of Glamour: Bob Mackie, an exhibit featuring 5 of his gowns, and sketches of his work from 1970s to 2000s.

The Carol Burnett Show

Mackie created all of the costumes, including evening gowns, character outfits and dance clothing for guests during the run of The Carol Burnett Show, including the famous curtain dress from the "Went with the Wind!" sketch, which was donated to the Smithsonian Institution. Brent D. Glass, the museum's director, praised his creativity: “Mackie’s design represents an iconic reimagining of Scarlett O’Hara’s curtain dress, and it exists as a worthy reminder of the designer’s unique contribution to a golden era in American comedy...It was his spirit of innovation that made ‘Went with the Wind’ a symbol of this country’s rich comedic history.” Burnett estimated that Mackie had created 17,000 outfits for the show, and said his costume work added more humor to some of the skits she felt were weaker than others. She praised him by saying “There are fashion designers, but they can’t do costumes...And then there are costume designers that don’t do fashion. But Bob does it all. He’s the whole ball of wax.”

Collaboration with Mattel Mattel, manufacturer of Barbie dolls, approached Mackie in the late '80s to design clothes for a Barbie. The first limited-edition doll he designed had a gold outfit with a sequined skirt, feather boa, and long ponytail, and made its debut in 1990. The doll's appearance foreshadowed a similar look taken by Madonna in concert during her Blonde Ambition World Tour. Lucille Ball Diahann Carroll Carol Channing Miley Cyrus Doris Day Marlene Dietrich Barbara Eden Lola Falana Beyoncé Farrah Fawcett Judy Garland Julia Louis-Dreyfus Madonna Dolly Parton Pink As featured in the 2024 documentary Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion, Bob and Lulu have remained very close throughout the years and later discovered that they share a granddaughter through their son, with whom they enjoy a close relationship and two great grandchildren .

Beginning in 1963, Mackie's significant other was costume designer Ray Aghayan, whom Mackie worked with as an assistant. The two worked together through the 1970s, as well as having separate clients. They remained together until Aghayan's death in 2011. Bart Simpson (Nancy Cartwright) in episode 18 of season 5 of The Simpsons ("Burns' Heir") offers Milhouse Van Houten (Pamela Hayden) the blazer he is wearing, stating it is a "Bob Mackie original". Milhouse responds "Wow! A Bob Mackie!" before declining the offer. Mackie is a character in the jukebox musical The Cher Show. Referenced in Netflix's GLOW. Referenced in episode 20 of season 10 of Modern Family ("Can’t Elope") Referenced in Netflix's AJ and the Queen. In Christopher Guest's 2000 film Best in Show, upon seeing what his rival Christy Cummings (Jane Lynch) is wearing, Stefan Vanderhoof (Michael McKean) exclaims, "Bob Mackie, where are you when we need you?" In "Ode to Barbra Joan," episode 20 of season 1 of The Nanny, C.C. Babcock (Lauren Lane)'s father Stewart (Robert Culp) spoils Fran Fine (Fran Drescher) by taking her shopping for designer outfits. Fran comments "All I said was that I was in the mood for a Big Mac, and you got me a Bob Mackie!" In HBO's Girls season 5 episode 6 "The Panic in Central Park", Marnie Michaels (Allison Williams) tries on a slinky glittery red sleeveless gown and refers to herself as a "Bob Mackie Barbie doll". Mackie appears as himself in HBO Max's Hacks season 5 episode 7, "Montecito", when Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) calls him to ask who owns his jumpsuit Carol Burnett wore in the final episode of The Carol Burnett Show.

Awards and nominations Academy Awards The Academy Awards are awarded annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Mackie has received 3 nominations.

Year Nominated work AwardResult 1973 Lady Sings the Blues Best Costume Design 1976 Funny Lady 1982 Pennies from Heaven

Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards are presented at one of the numerous annual American events or competitions that each recognize achievements in a particular sector of the television industry. Mackie has received 1 honorary award and 9 competitive awards from 32 nominations.

Year Nominated work AwardResult 1966 Wonderful World of Burlesque II Individual Achievements in Art Direction and Allied Crafts - Costume Design 1967 Alice Through the Looking Glass 1969 The Carol Burnett Show Outstanding Individual Achievement in the Visual Arts 1970 G.I.T. on Broadway Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design 1972 The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour 1974 1975 Cher 1976 Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for Music - Variety Mitzi...Roarin' in the 20's 1977 An Evening with Diana Ross The Sonny & Cher Show 1978 Mitzi...Zings into Spring 1979 Cher... and Other Fantasies Outstanding Costume Design for a Limited Series or Special 1980 Ann-Margret: Hollywood Movie Girls 1983 Mama's Family Outstanding Costume Design for a Series 1984 1986 Neil Diamond...Hello Again Outstanding Costume Design for a Variety or Music Program 1987 Mama's Family Outstanding Achievement for Costuming in a Series Fresno Outstanding Achievement for Costuming in a Miniseries 1988 The 60th Annual Academy Awards Outstanding Individual Achievement - Special Events 1990 Julie & Carol: Together Again Outstanding Costume Design for a Variety or Music Program 1991 Cher... at the Mirage Carol & Company 1992 The Carol Burnett Show Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Variety or Music Program 1993 The Carol Burnett Show: A Reunion 1994 Gypsy Outstanding Costume Design for a Miniseries or Special 1995 Men, Movies & Carol Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Variety or Music Program 1997 Mrs. Santa Claus Outstanding Costume Design for a Miniseries or Special 1998 Blue Suede Shoes - Ballet Rocks! Outstanding Costumes for a Variety or Music Program 2000 Cher: Live in Concert – From the MGM Grand in Las Vegas Outstanding Costumes for a Variety or Music Program 2002 Himself Television Hall of Fame 2003 Cher: The Farewell Tour Outstanding Costumes for a Variety or Music Program 2006 Once Upon a Mattress Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special

Tony Awards The Tony Awards are presented annually by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League. Mackie has received 1 award from 1 nomination.

Year Nominated work AwardResult 2019 The Cher Show Best Costume Design in a Musical

Miscellaneous awards and honors Year Organization Nominated work AwardResult 1999 Costume Designers Guild Awards Himself Disaronno Career Achievement in Television Award 2001 American Choreography Awards Governor's Award 2005 TV Land Awards The Carol Burnett Show Legend Award 2016 CFDA Himself Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement 2023 RuPaul's Drag Race Giving Us Life-time Achievement Award