(CNN) - American fashion designer Bob Mackie passed away at the age of 87, leaving behind a legacy that spanned decades, during which he was associated with the most prominent Hollywood stars, such as Cher, Diana Ross, Dolly Parton, and Tina Turner, through designs that became part of their image on stage and screen.
Over the years of his career, Mackie's name became associated with the glamor and showmanship of Hollywood, until he was nicknamed the "Sultan of Sequins," the "Raja of Rhinestones," and the "Guru of Glamour."
In his designs, Mackie relied on jewelry, crystals, feathers, and tassels, using these elements to build theatrical looks that go beyond the limits of traditional fashion and are in harmony with the presence of the stars who wore these looks.
But the most prominent stop in his career was associated with the American artist Cher, with whom he collaborated for years and designed her television and theatrical appearances, in a partnership that contributed to consolidating the bold visual image for which she was known.
Mackie attracted attention when he designed Cher's look at the Met Gala in 1974, where she appeared in a transparent dress he designed, decorated with white feathers that covered her arms and legs. The look sparked widespread controversy at the time, but at the same time it was one of the moments that established Mackie's style, which is based on mixing fashion and showmanship, and paved the way for a long career that made him one of the most prominent fashion designers for the stars.
But the controversy sparked by Cher's appearance was not fleeting, as the "Naked Illusion" designs, in which he used sequins, feathers and other elements that characterized his style, quickly turned into one of his most prominent design features.
Cher's relationship with Mackie has remained strong over the decades, as she indicated in one of her meetings in 2024 that he is a very important person in her life, and that he helped her create a different version of her.
Mackie's transition to the world of designing fashion for stars was not separate from his early passion for the world of show business, as he was able to build a special style that blurred the boundaries between fashion and show costume design, as clothes for him were no longer just pieces to be worn, but rather became part of the artist's identity and a tool that helps shape his image and turn him into an icon.
Beginning with Marilyn Monroe and continuing with today's stars
Since his beginnings, Mackey has made his mark in show business. While working under the supervision of his mentor, Jean-Louis, he drew the original design for Marilyn Monroe's famous dress, studded with sparkles and form-fitting, which she wore in 1962 during a celebration of President John F. Kennedy's birthday. Kennedy in New York.
Mackey's exaggerated designs sometimes touched on comedy, especially during his work as costume designer for "The Carol Burnett Show," where he was careful to keep exaggeration within the limits of visual intelligence. One of his most prominent designs is the “Window Curtain” dress that he designed for Carol Burnett in a parody scene from the movie “Gone with the Wind,” which became one of the program’s most famous scenes.
Burnett estimated that McKee designed about 17,000 costumes during the program's 11 years. She said: "There are costume designers, but they cannot design costumes, and there are costume designers who do not design costumes. As for Bob, he does all that."
At another stop, Mackie designed a costume for British artist Elton John in the form of the cartoon character Donald Duck for a party held in 1980 in Central Park in New York.
Mackie's influence extended to a new generation; American artists Sabrina Carpenter and Zendaya appeared with looks from his archive on the red carpet, while American artist Miley Cyrus wore a studded dress made for the stage with crystal chains from his archive during her performance at the Grammy Awards in 2024.
Mackie was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame and nominated for three Academy Awards. In 1999, the Fashion Institute of Technology Museum held an exhibition of his work, before he later won a Tony Award for the musical “The Share Show” and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
He also collaborated with Mattel to design fashions for Barbie dolls, and contributed to changing their traditional image by creating looks inspired by his most famous designs, away from the recurring blonde Barbie model.
Fern Mallis, former executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America and founder of New York Fashion Week, considers Mackie to have shaped many of today's red carpet trends. “He created nude dresses with carefully placed beads,” she told CNN in 2019, adding that everyone who works in red carpet fashion design owes him a great deal of gratitude.
