Bob Mackie: Legendary costume designer dies aged 87 - BBC News (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmpq04wx8l4eo) (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmpq04wx8l4eo) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmpq04wx8l4eo) (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmpq04wx8l4eo) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-36.413a37b227.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-48.010dc96bcf.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-57.1fcd0dc805.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-60.52f68a148f.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-72.f155fdb25f.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-76.cb5ee392d4.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-96.35ee2d1e20.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-114.7ccdf53cba.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-120.73e20442a9.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-128.060d346f09.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-144.e08bc23631.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-152.4de1981be0.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-180.1a18cb7b72.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-192.3ac042fa43.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-384.728e3a03d3.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-512.685da29e9e.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/favicon/news/favicon-16.8a240ceacc.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/favicon/news/favicon-32.5cf4e6db02.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/manifest.11b0cb15658c4719a2c19e25644577223adaa7b2.json) (https://www.bbc.com) BBC Homepage (cmpq04wx8l4eo@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#main-heading) Skip to content (https://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility/) Accessibility Help (https://account.bbc.com/account?lang=en-GB&ptrt=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticles%2Fcmpq04wx8l4eo) Your account (https://www.bbc.com) Home (https://www.bbc.com/news) News (https://www.bbc.com/sport) Sport (https://www.bbc.com/future/earth) Earth (https://www.bbc.com/reel) Reel (https://www.bbc.com/worklife) Worklife (https://www.bbc.com/travel) Travel (https://www.bbc.com/culture) Culture (https://www.bbc.com/future) Future (https://www.bbc.com/culture/music) Music (https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl9m) TV (https://www.bbc.com/weather) Weather (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds) Sounds (cmpq04wx8l4eo@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#global-navigation-more-menu) More menu (cmpq04wx8l4eo@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#global-navigation-more-menu) More menu (https://www.bbc.com/search?d=NEWS_GNL) Search BBC (https://www.bbc.com) Home (https://www.bbc.com/news) News (https://www.bbc.com/sport) Sport (https://www.bbc.com/future/earth) Earth (https://www.bbc.com/reel) Reel (https://www.bbc.com/worklife) Worklife (https://www.bbc.com/travel) Travel (https://www.bbc.com/culture) Culture (https://www.bbc.com/future) Future (https://www.bbc.com/culture/music) Music (https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl9m) TV (https://www.bbc.com/weather) Weather (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds) Sounds (cmpq04wx8l4eo@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#more-menu-button) Close menu (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news) BBC News (cmpq04wx8l4eo@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#product-navigation-menu) Menu (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news) Home (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cmj34zmwm1zt) Climate (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world) World (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/us_and_canada) US & Canada (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk) UK (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business) Business (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology) Tech (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science_and_environment) Science (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment_and_arts) Entertainment & Arts (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health) Health (cmpq04wx8l4eo@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#product-navigation-more-menu) More (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in_pictures) In Pictures (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/bbcverify) BBC Verify (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat) Newsbeat (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/us_and_canada) US & Canada Legendary costume designer Bob Mackie dies aged 87 (Bob Mackie wears a navy blue blazer, blue and white striped shirt and a multi-coloured tartain style bow-tie. He's smiling and there's a bright pink background.) Image source, Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images Image caption, Bob Mackie at a red carpet event in Los Angeles in January By Tiffany Wertheimer and Jack Burgess Published 43 minutes ago Bob Mackie, who designed dazzling costumes for stars including Cher, Tina Turner, Dolly Parton and Elton John has died, aged 87. The US fashion designer, known as the "Sultan of Sequins" for his sparkling creations, won a Tony Award, nine Emmys and received three Oscar nominations during his career. "It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Mr Bob Mackie passed away today," a statement on his Instagram account announced on Monday. "He lived his 87 years to the fullest, fulfilling his dream of being a Fashion and Costume Designer, which is all he ever wanted to do," it added. "His genius and extraordinary designs will live on forever, continuing to bring beauty into this world." Mackie was particularly influential in Cher's career and designed her iconic Mohawk outfit, which she wore to the Oscars in 1986. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/culture/article/20260227-the-moment-cher-wore-the-ultimate-revenge-outfit) It became known as her "revenge" outfit , because she wasn't nominated for anything. The showgirl-inspired costume featured a plumed mohawk headdress and showed Cher's bare midriff - a very new, and very shocking look at the time. The costume has gone down in fashion history as one of the most outrageous and extravagant ever to appear at the awards. "I didn't get nominated for a movie that everyone thought I would actually win for [Mask] - so was dressing that night for a kind of revenge," Cher explained in the 2024 documentary Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion. Mackie told the BBC in 2010 that when Cher started out she "looked like no-one else in the entertainment business at the time". "Everybody just went crazy over this woman as she could wear anything," he added. Cher was widely reported to be the first woman to show her belly button on US television - and Mackie's designs were pivotal to that. (Cher's outfit is a black bejewelled skirt and top that shows all of her stomach, and she has a huge black headpiece on that has many black feathers sticking into the air) Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Cher's infamous mohawk "revenge" outfit at the 1986 Oscars Mackie was also the creative genius behind several of Sir Elton John's costumes, including his now-iconic Dodgers baseball outfit - bedazzled of course - that he wore during his performances at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in 1975. "Every time I put something on that Bob made, I felt very, very special," Sir John wrote on Instagram. "His costumes were works of art, and he will go down as one of the most legendary designers ever in Hollywood." Singer Pink wore many of his designs over the years. Sharing several of the outfits she wore on stage during her Funhouse tour in 2009, she wrote "I was so lucky to be dressed by him for so long. He was loving, wickedly funny and an absolute genius." "There are going to be some fabulously dressed angels." Mackie was still designing up until recently - Sabrina Carpenter wore one of his designs at the MTV Video Music Awards last year. He also designed the dress Miley Cyrus wore during her performance at the 2024 Grammy Awards. She won a Grammy that year for her break-up anthem, Flowers - perhaps it was her own version of a "revenge" dress. (Miley Cyrus performing in silver glittering dress.) Image source, John Shearer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy Image caption, Miley Cyrus wore her own style of Mackie "revenge" dress at the 2024 Grammy Awards Robert Gordon Mackie was born in Monterey Park, California, in 1939. His design career started as a sketch artist for Jean Louis, a French-American costume designer. One of Mackie's early assignments saw him sketch the dress that Marilyn Monroe wore when she delivered her breathy rendition of "Happy Birthday Mr President" to John F Kennedy in 1962. He married Hollywood singer and actress Lulu Porter in 1960, but they divorced three years later. They had a son together, Robin, who died in his early thirties from an Aids related illness. Mackie was in a relationship with Iranian fashion designer, Ray Aghayan, from 1963 until Aghayan's death in 2011. "I think I'm the oldest living designer in Hollywood," Mackie told The Guardian in 2018. When asked if he'd ever retire, his answer was simple - "I hope not." Image gallery (cmpq04wx8l4eo@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#storyboard-9-end-of-image-gallery) Skip image gallery (Pink performs the final UK leg of her Funhouse tour on stage at O2 Arena on December 8, 2009 in London, England.) Image source, Getty Images Image caption, "There are going to be some fabulously dressed angels," Pink wrote in a tribute to Bob Mackie. The singer wore many of his designs over the years, especially during her Funhouse Tour in 2009 (Sabrina carpenter accepts her award) Image source, Manny Carabel/Getty Images for MTV Image caption, Sabrina Carpenter wore one of Mackie's designs at the MTV Video Music Awards last year, where she won Best Album Award for Short n' Sweet (Studio shot of Cher posing in a bright orange and red bejewelled gown, which looks like flames.) Image source, Harry Langdon/Getty Images Image caption, Cher wearing Bob Mackie in 1978 (American singer, Tina Turner posing in a winged-costume, Los Angeles, California, 1977.) Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Singer Tina Turner wore her famous 'wing' costume, designed by Bob Mackie, in 1977 (Black and white image shows Elton John leaning against a piano in a bejewelled baseball outfit with 'Dodgers' written across the front.) Image source, Chris Walter/WireImage Image caption, Bob Mackie designed Elton John's iconic Dodgers bejewelled baseball costume, which he wore on stage in 1975 (Barbara Streisand wearing a Bob Mackie costume as Fanny Brice in the 1975 musical, 'Funny Lady'.) Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Barbara Streisand stunned in a Mackie outfit in the 1975 musical Funny Lady (Designer Bob Mackie with Diana Ross at the 20th Annual American Fashion Awards at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center in New York City. 06/14/2001) Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Bob Mackie and Diana Ross - wearing one of his creations - at the American Fashion Awards in New York in 2001 1 of 7 Previous image Next image Slide1 of 7, Pink performs the final UK leg of her Funhouse tour on stage at O2 Arena on December 8, 2009 in London, England. , "There are going to be some fabulously dressed angels," Pink wrote in a tribute to Bob Mackie. The singer wore many of his designs over the years, especially during her Funhouse Tour in 2009 End of image gallery Related topics (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/c5ggrdx2w8zt) Fashion design (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cx1m7zg01xyt) United States (vertical video collection) The video playlist Watch our pick of standout clips from across the BBC Previous Next 1:07 Stockport man drugged and raped wife over 20 years. 00:01:07, play video Stockport man drugged and raped wife over 20 years (Woman with blond hair in a black top) 1:40 Deep-fried food banned under new school dinner rules in England. 00:01:40, play video Deep-fried food banned under new school dinner rules in England (Food, including hash browns and pizza, being served to students waiting with their trays) 1:39 Could Russian strike near Ukraine-Poland border mean escalation? 00:01:39, play video Could Russian strike near Ukraine-Poland border mean escalation? 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