{
  "id": 7407169,
  "title": "R.I.P. Bob Mackie, costume designer for Cher, Carol Burnett, and many more",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/r-i-p-bob-mackie-costume-designer-for-cher-carol-burnett-and-many-more",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-14T17:14:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The A.V. Club",
    "slug": "the-a-v-club",
    "url": "https://www.avclub.com/bob-mackie-dies-carol-burnett-cher"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Bob Mackie, the renowned costume designer who created iconic looks for Hollywood celebrities, passed away at the age of 87. Mackie, known as the \"Sultan of Sequins,\" breathed life into his designs, fulfilling his lifelong dream of being a Fashion and Costume Designer. His work graced the screens of countless homes, with his designs adorning the costumes of numerous iconic figures from the latter half of the 20th century.\n\nAmong his most celebrated creations were the \"Went With The Wind!\" curtain dress for The Carol Burnett Show and Cher's memorable costumes, including those for her Oscars and her variety show. Mackie's clientele also included Tina Turner, Elton John, Diana Ross, and Mattel's Barbie dolls. In the past year alone, his designs have been showcased by Sabrina Carpenter and Deborah Vance's character in the show.\n\nMackie's journey in the fashion world began in Monterey Park, California, where he sketched for costume designer Frank Thompson at Paramount. He further honed his skills under the tutelage of Ray Aghayan, with whom he shared a romantic relationship from 1963 until Aghayan's death in 2011, and from legendary designer Edith Head. Mackie's first encounter with Cher came in the early 1960s when he sketched the original design for a dress that would become Marilyn Monroe's iconic \"Happy Birthday, Mr. President\" outfit. He would later collaborate with Cher on her memorable looks, winning his first Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design for Lady Sings the Blues.\n\nMackie's designs found a regular spot on television screens in the 1970s, when he became the costume designer for The Sonny And Cher Comedy Hour and The Carol Burnett Show. His innovative designs, such as the tight-fitting skirt for Mrs. Wiggins on The Carol Burnett Show, added a new dimension to the character's walk. Over his illustrious career, Mackie bagged nine Emmys (excluding The Carol Burnett Show) and was posthumously inducted into the Television Hall Of Fame in 2002.\n\nEven in the 1980s, Mackie continued to design for renowned performers like Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton. However, his most famous sartorial moments of the decade were his designs for Cher, including the sheer costume she wore in the \"If I Could Turn Back Time\" music video in 1989. Mackie's relationship with Cher was immortalized in the 2018 Broadway musical The Cher Show, for which he won a Tony Award for Costume Design.\n\nToday, Mackie's designs are often linked to the glamour and extravagance of the 1970s and 1980s. However, his work continues to captivate a new generation of artists, with Beyoncé, Pink, and Miley Cyrus donning his creations. Even Miley Cyrus wore one of Mackie's designs during her first Grammy win in 2024. Mackie remained modest about his work, stating that any applause and laughter from the audience during a performance is a significant achievement.",
  "summary": "Mackie, who dressed Hollywood for decades, was 87.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}