Wikipedia

Bob Mackie

For the Scottish footballer, see Bob Mackie (footballer).

Robert Gordon Mackie (born March 24, 1939)[1] 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.

Bob Mackie
Mackie in 1975
Born
Robert Gordon Mackie

(1939-03-24) March 24, 1939 (age 86)
Monterey Park, California, U.S.
Alma mater
Occupation(s)Fashion designer, costumier
Spouse
Lulu Porter
​
​
(m. 1960; div. 1963)​
PartnerRay Aghayan (since 1963; died 2011)
Children1
Websitewww.bobmackie.com

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.[2][3] Mackie has said, "A woman who wears my clothes is not afraid to be noticed."[4][5]

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 Lifetime Achievement Award by RuPaul at the RuPaul's Drag Race Season 15 finale.[6]

Early life

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Mackie was born March 24, 1939, in Monterey Park, California, to Charles Robert Mackie and Mildred Agnes (née Smith) Mackie.[7][8] His father worked at Bank of America.[9] He has an older sister.[1][10]

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.[7] He attended Rosemead High School.

Mackie continued his education at Pasadena City College and one-year study at Chouinard Art Institute but left without earning a degree from either school.[7][11] At Chouinard, Mackie studied under Eva Roberts, the head of the fashion design department.[12] He left Chouinard early because he got his first job sketching for Frank Thompson at Paramount Studios.[7] Between 1960 and 1963, Mackie worked as a novice designer and assistant under designer Ray Aghayan at Paramount Studios.[13]

Professional career

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In 1961, while he was working at Paramount Studios, costumer Edith Head found Mackie.[14] He said "Edith Head taught me not so much about designing as how to handle producers, directors, and actors. Her public relations were superb."[15]

 
Bob Mackie designs for Cher and Farrah Fawcett on
The Sonny & Cher Show (1976)

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.[16]

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.[17] 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 GIT: On Broadway.[17] In 1972, he and Aghayan were nominated for Best Costume Design for Lady Sings The Blues, starring Diana Ross.[13] Mackie and Diana Ross continued their collaborative efforts well into the 21st century, with Mackie designing stage costumes for Ross' 2010 More Today Than Yesterday: The Greatest Hits Tour.[18]

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 Bally's Las Vegas) from 1974 to 1980, and Jubilee!, which ran from 1981 to 2016.[19][20] 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.[21]

Elton John's iconic Donald Duck,[3] sequined Los Angeles Dodgers,[22] and Amadeus concert costumes were designed by Mackie.

He designed the exotic ensemble worn by Cher at the March 1986 Academy Awards: 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".[23] "As you can see," said Cher, "I did receive my Academy booklet on how to dress like a serious actress."[24]

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 Emmy Awards for his designs, and he has been nominated three times for an Academy Award.[25]

In 1981, Mackie guest-starred as himself on two episodes of the television series The Love Boat.[26]

In 2002, Mackie was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.[27]

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 at the Colosseum residency at Caesars Palace, as well as for her 2017 Classic Cher shows in Las Vegas and Washington, D.C.[28] 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.[29]

The Carol Burnett Show

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The curtain dress, worn by Carol Burnett in "Went with the Wind!" on The Carol Burnett Show, a parody of Gone with the Wind.

Bob Mackie created all of the costumes, including evening gowns, character outfits and dance clothing for guests during the run of the show, including the famous curtain dress from the "Went with the Wind!" sketch,[30] which was donated to the Smithsonian Institution.[31] 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.”[31]

Burnett credited him with coming up with other comedic touches for the show's various characters, such as the tight-legged skirt for Mr. Tudball's secretary, Mrs. Wiggins. She told Mackie the skirt was too baggy in the back for her physique, but he told her to stick her bottom out to fill it, resulting in the character's distinctive posture and walk. In a 2003 interview with Terry Gross, Burnett said Mackie would put rice in the “older woman” undergarments, where typically cotton would’ve been used, to make the saggy breasts have weight and movement as the characters walked or danced, such as when Burnett portrayed Norma Desmond or Charo's mother.[32] 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.[33] 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.”[34]

Collaboration with Mattel

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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.[34]

While other designers had created fashions for Barbies, Mackie was the first to also be involved with changes to the face and hair. Mackie said at that point in time, all American dolls had blonde hair, but changing the length and color allowed Barbie to be whoever and whatever she wanted to become. A closed-mouth smile became known as the "Mackie sculpt" and was popular with collectors.[34]

Mackie created outfits that were glamour or fantasy-related, instead of traditional work uniforms. Other outfits echoed his creations for television shows or specific clients like Cher. The details had to be proportionally scaled down and embroidery, beading and other details were in some cases done by hand.[34]

Part of the innovation Mackie brought to the dolls was insisting on having different ethnicities and traditional garb represented. He drew on his experiences with the many women he worked with in fashion shows and felt the dolls should be as varied as the real women that were in the world.[34]

Other notable clients

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Personal life

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On March 14, 1960, Mackie married LuLu Porter (née Marianne Wolford), a singer and actress, and later an acting teacher.[36][15] The couple had a son, Robert Gordon Mackie Jr. (known as "Robin"),[14] the previous year. The couple divorced in 1963. Robin, a makeup artist, died in 1993 at the age of 33 of an AIDS-related illness, predeceasing his parents.[15][37][38][9][39]

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.[13]

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  • Daffy Duck in episode 9 of season 2 of The Looney Tunes Show explains that he's wearing a Bob Mackie jumpsuit in a photo of himself.[40]
  • Bart Simpson in episode 18 of season 5 of The Simpsons ("Burns' Heir") offers Milhouse Van Houten the blazer he is wearing, stating it is a "Bob Mackie original". Milhouse responds "Wow! A Bob Mackie!" before declining the offer.[41]
  • Mackie is a character in the jukebox musical The Cher Show.
  • Referenced in Netflix's GLOW.[42]
  • 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 Best in Show, upon seeing what his rival is wearing, Michael McKean's character exclaims, "Bob Mackie, where are you when we need you?"[43]
  • In "Ode to Barbra Joan," Episode 20 of Season 1 of The Nanny, C.C. Babcock's father Stuart spoils main character Fran Fine 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!"[44]
  • In HBO's Girls Season 5 Episode 6 "The Panic in Central Park", the character Marnie Michaels tries on a slinky glittery red sleeveless gown and refers to herself as a "Bob Mackie Barbie doll".[45]

Awards and nominations

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Academy Awards

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

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

American Choreography Awards

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The American Choreography Awards honored outstanding choreographers in the fields of feature film, television, music videos, and commercials. Mackie has received 1 honorary award.

Year Nominated work Award Result
2001 Himself Governor's Award Honored

Costume Designers Guild Awards

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The Costume Designers Guild Awards are awarded annually by the Costume Designers Guild for costume designers in motion pictures, television, and commercials. Mackie has received 1 honorary award.

Year Nominated work Award Result
1999 Himself Disaronno Career Achievement in Television Award Honored

Emmy Awards

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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.[46]

Year Nominated work Award Result
1966 Wonderful World of Burlesque II Individual Achievements in Art Direction and Allied Crafts - Costume Design Nominated
1967 Alice Through The Looking Glass Won
1969 The Carol Burnett Show Outstanding Individual Achievement in the Visual Arts Nominated
1970 Diana Ross and The Supremes and The Temptations Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design Won
1972 The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour Nominated
1974 Nominated
1975 Cher Nominated
1976 Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for Music - Variety Nominated
Mitzi...Roarin' in the 20's Won
1977 An Evening with Diana Ross The Big Event Nominated
The Sonny & Cher Show Nominated
1978 Mitzi...Zings Into Spring Won
1979 Cher...And Other Fantasies Outstanding Costume Design for a Limited Series or Special Nominated
1980 Ann-Margret - Hollywood Movie Girls Nominated
1983 Mama's Family Outstanding Costume Design for a Series Nominated
1984 Won
1986 Neil Diamond...Hello Again Outstanding Costume Design for a Variety or Music Program Nominated
1987 Mama's Family Outstanding Achievement for Costuming in a Series Nominated
Fresno Outstanding Achievement for Costuming in a Miniseries Nominated
1988 The 60th Annual Academy Awards Outstanding Individual Achievement - Special Events Nominated
1990 Julie and Carol: Together Again Outstanding Costume Design for a Variety or Music Program Nominated
1991 Cher At The Mirage Nominated
Carol & Company Won
1992 The Carol Burnett Show Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Variety or Music Program Nominated
1993 The Carol Burnett Show: A Reunion Nominated
1994 Outstanding Costume Design for a Miniseries or Special Gypsy Nominated
1995 Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Variety or Music Program Men, Movies And Carol Won
1997 Mrs. Santa Claus Outstanding Costume Design for a Miniseries or Special Nominated
1998 Blue Suede Shoes - Ballet Rocks! Outstanding Costumes for a Variety or Music Program Nominated
2000 Cher: Live In Concert - From The MGM Grand In Las Vegas Outstanding Costumes for a Variety or Music Program Won
2002 Himself Television Hall of Fame Honored
2003 Cher - The Farewell Tour Outstanding Costumes for a Variety or Music Program Won
2006 Once Upon A Mattress Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special Nominated

RuPaul's Drag Race Awards

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RuPaul's Drag Race is a reality competition program hosted by American drag queen RuPaul. The show periodically highlights and celebrates pop culture icons that have influenced LGBTQIA+ culture over the years with their "Giving Us Life-time Achievement Award". Mackie has received one honorary award.[6]

Year Nominated work Award Result
2023 Himself Giving Us Life-time Achievement Award Honored

Tony Awards

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The Tony Awards are presented annually by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League. Mackie has received 1 award from 1 nomination.[47]

Year Nominated work Award Result
2019 The Cher Show Best Costume Design in a Musical Won

TV Land Awards

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The TV Land Award generally commemorates shows now off the air, rather than in current production. Mackie has received 1 honorary award.

Year Nominated work Award Result
2005 The Carol Burnett Show Legend Award Honored

References

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  1. ^ a b Borrelli-Persson, Laird (May 28, 2019). ""He's a Genius, That's All"—An Oral History of Bob Mackie". Vogue. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
  2. ^ "The Bead Goes On". Fashion History Museum. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Jennings, Helen (June 11, 2019). "Bob Mackie: The 'Sultan of Sequins' who dresses the world's divas". CNN. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  4. ^ "Bob Mackie: Man of Design". thesocietydiplomat.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  5. ^ "Bob Mackie Interview: Brazilian Banana Bonanza™ Barbie® Doll and More!". barbiecollector.com. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  6. ^ a b Joey Nolfi (April 14, 2023). "RuPaul presents Bob Mackie with first-ever Giving Us Life-time Achievement Award on Drag Race finale". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d Jorgensen, Jay (2015). Creating the Illusion (Turner Classic Movies): A Fashionable History of Hollywood Costume Designers. Running Press. p. 330. ISBN 978-0762458073.
  8. ^ "Bob Mackie". Britannica Kids. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Witchel, Alex (May 8, 1994). "THEATER; Beads. Feathers. Sequins. Lace. Fantasy. Flash". The New York Times. Retrieved March 21, 2019. his 33-year-old son, Robin, died of AIDS
  10. ^ Horyn, Cathy (February 19, 1991). "BOB MACKIE AND THE AESTHETIC OF THE FABULOUS". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  11. ^ "In Praise of Alma Mater : Proud of their art school's legacy and impact, Chouinard alumni will celebrate the institution with reunion events". Los Angeles Times. April 30, 1993. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  12. ^ Perine, Robert (1985). Chouinard, an Art Vision Betrayed: The Story of the Chouinard Art Institute, 1921-1972. Artra Publisher. p. 173. ISBN 0936725001.
  13. ^ a b c Vitello, Paul (October 15, 2011). "Ray Aghayan, Costume Designer, Dies at 83". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  14. ^ a b "Bob Mackie". TV Guide. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  15. ^ a b c Moritz, Charles (1989). Current Biography Yearbook. H.W. Wilson Company. OCLC 658232093.
  16. ^ Steinberg, Brooke. "The secrets of Marilyn Monroe's dress that Kim Kardashian wore to Met Gala 2022". New York Post. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  17. ^ a b Atkinson, Nathalie (November 11, 2021). "Reel to Real: New Books and Films on Bob Mackie, James Bond and Gucci Emphasize How Celebrity and Popular Style Remain Intertwined". Everything Zoomer. ZoomerMedia. Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
  18. ^ Hyde, Paul (January 30, 2011). "Ross show brings supreme thrill". The Greenville News. p. 13. Retrieved June 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ UNLV Libraries Digital Collections. "The Modern Ziegfeld: Hallelujah Hollywood!". Showgirls. University of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  20. ^ UNLV Libraries Digital Collections. "Jubilee!". Showgirls. University of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries. Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  21. ^ "Donn Arden Papers". University of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  22. ^ Brucculiere, Julia (March 25, 2019). "Elton John's Most Gloriously Over-The-Top Costumes Through The Years". Huffington Post. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  23. ^ Cosgrave, Bronwyn (2008). Made for each other fashion and the Academy Awards. London: Bloomsbury. p. 168. ISBN 978-1408820605.
  24. ^ Cosgrave, Bronwyn (2008). Made for each other fashion and the Academy Awards. London: Bloomsbury. p. 169. ISBN 978-1408820605.
  25. ^ "Awards and Nominations". Bob Mackie.
  26. ^ ""The Love Boat" A Model Marriage/This Year's Model/Original Sin/Vogue Rogue/Too Clothes for Comfort: Part 1 (TV Episode 1981)". IMDb. May 2, 1981. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  27. ^ "Honorees". Television Academy.
  28. ^ Johns, Nikara (February 27, 2017). "A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Fashion From Cher & Elton John's Las Vegas Concerts". Retrieved November 26, 2017.
  29. ^ "'Wheel of Fortune' celebrates San Francisco Bay Area all week". April 27, 2020.
  30. ^ Newman, Judith (June 5, 2019). "He's dressed Cher and Carol Burnett. But now Bob Mackie is finally getting his own star turn". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  31. ^ a b "National Museum of American History Collects Legendary Burnett Costume". Smithsonian Institute. May 12, 2009. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  32. ^ Gross, Terry (January 29, 2016). "Carol Burnett: The 'Fresh Air' Interview". NPR. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  33. ^ Mackie, Drew (January 29, 2016). "Carol Burnett, SAG Lifetime Achievement Awardee, Talks Career, Costumes and Her Gown Designed by Longtime Friend Bob Mackie". People. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  34. ^ a b c d e Brown, Evan Nicole (July 15, 2023). "Mattel Made Barbie Popular, but Bob Mackie Made Her a Fashion Icon". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  35. ^ a b c d e "Bob Mackie: From Cher and Elton to Madonna and Pink". Rolling Stone. May 29, 2019. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  36. ^ "People: Aug. 16, 1963". Time. August 16, 1963. Archived from the original on December 22, 2008.
  37. ^ Min, Janice (January 24, 1994). "Putting on the Glitz – Again". People. Retrieved March 21, 2019. Then in March, his 33-year-old son Robin died of AIDS after a long battle with drugs. "I wish everything that happened was a nightmare," says Bob, "and I could open my eyes and wake up and have it be over."
  38. ^ Riggs, Thomas (2003). Contemporary Theatre, Film, and Television. Gale Research Company. ISBN 978-0787663629.
  39. ^ "Robin Mackie". Variety. March 17, 1993. Retrieved March 22, 2019. Artist Robin Mackie, son of designer Bob Mackie, died Monday in Los Angeles due to complications from AIDS.
  40. ^ "The Looney Tunes Show s02e09 Episode Script". Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  41. ^ "The Simpsons s05e18 Episode Script". Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  42. ^ "- Is that a Bob Mackie gown? - [Bash] Uh, yeah" – via getyarn.io.
  43. ^ "Best in Show Script". Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  44. ^ "Ode to Barbra Joan," The Nanny Script. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  45. ^ "Taking Cues from Marnie's No-Makeup Makeup on Girls Last Night". Vogue. March 28, 2016. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  46. ^ "Emmy Awards, Nominations, and Wins: Bob Mackie". Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  47. ^ "Bob Mackie Talks His Tony". June 10, 2019. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
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