Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – American fashion designer Bob Mackie, whose eye-catching dresses were worn by Cher, Tina Turner, Sabrina Carpenter and countless others in Hollywood’s glitterati, died Monday. He was 87. “It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Mr. Bob Mackie passed away today,” said a post on his Instagram account. “His genius and extraordinary designs will live on forever, continuing to bring beauty into this world.”
Known for his flair with sequins and sparkle, Mackie’s designs were in demand in Hollywood for decades, from the set of “The Carol Burnett Show” to the resurgent popularity of his archives with a younger audience, including stars Zendaya and Miley Cyrus. Throughout Cher’s career, Mackie designed the revealing outfits she wore onstage, to awards shows and in music videos, adorning her svelte figure with ornamentation befitting a Vegas showgirl. He won a Tony Award for best costume design for Cher’s musical “The Cher Show.”
In a post to X on Monday, the “Turn Back Time” singer wrote: “My dear Bob has gone up to heaven. Knowing him, he’s bringing sequins, beads and his sketch pad. Good nite sweet Prince.” Born in Monterey Park, California, in 1939, Mackie got his start working for Hollywood costume designer Jean Louis — where he sketched the dress Marilyn Monroe wore to alluringly sing “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy.
Diana Ross, Madonna, Bette Midler were among the stars Mackie dressed during his career. The New York Times noted that Mackie tried and failed to gain acceptance for his designs “from the frosty corridors of high fashion,” but Mackie said he had no regrets for embracing glitz. “Maybe what I do wasn’t for everybody, but that’s fine,” Mackie told the newspaper last year. “I could only ever be true to myself.”
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