1. He helped create Marilyn Monroe’s most famous dress
Before Mackie was known as the 'Sultan of Sequins', he worked as a Hollywood sketch artist. In the early 1960s, he worked for costume designer Jean Louis, where an assignment landed on his desk to sketch a design for what would become iconic fashion history. The sheer, crystal-covered 'Happy Birthday' dress was worn by Monroe as she sang Happy Birthday to President John. F Kennedy in 1962.
Mackie was at the beginning of his career, but the dress contained many of the ingredients that would become his recognisable style: illusion, sparkle and sequins.
2. He and Cher formed one of music’s greatest fashion partnerships
Cher met Mackie in 1967 when she was working on The Carol Burnett Show, where he was the costume designer. Their creative partnership really took off when The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour came to television sets in the 1970s. The daring designs, dramatic headdresses, sheer fabrics and strategically placed sequins became part of Cher’s instantly recognisable image and stage persona.
Mackie and Cher continued to work together for decades, with Mackie designing incredible outfits for her tours, red carpet appearances and even a Broadway musical The Cher Show, for which he earned a Tony Award in 2019.
3. He made concerts into fashion spectacles
Mackie didn’t just dress Cher, he had quite the client list, including Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Elton John, Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton and many more.
This ensemble from the V&A collections was designed for Elton John and he wore it on his 1981/2 British and World tours. Mackie knew not only how to design an extravagant costume, but how to make it visible on stage, under the intense lighting. The glistening gold metallic thread and bouncy beads were not just excess for excess sake, they caught the light and made every movement mesmerising.
4. Sometimes the costumes were just simply ridiculous
Mackie didn’t always do dripping glamour, sometimes his designs were deliberately silly for comedic effect. On The Carol Burnett Show in 1976, Carol descended a staircase in this extravagant green gown, during a parody skit of Gone With The Wind. In the film, character Scarlett O’Hara makes a green velvet dress out of curtains, so Mackie decided to leave the curtain rod in his design!
The costume became one of the most celebrated outfits in American television history and is now held by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
5. He designed for Barbie
When you have dressed some of the biggest stars in the world, where do you go next? A tiny doll, of course! Mackie began collaborating with toy manufacturers Mattel in the 1990s and became the first designer to create his own Barbie doll, rather than just designing an outfit for her. He translated his signature fantasy fashion into miniature, making Barbie the best dressed toy on the market. He even designed a Lady Dracula version of Cher, complete with tiny fangs and a little coffin box!
6. Taylor Swift helped bring Mackie to a new generation
Mackie continued his glamorous career throughout the 20th century, bringing a new level of inspiration to stars of the 21st century, including Miley Cyrus, Zendaya, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift.
Swift turned to Mackie’s archive for her 2025 album The Life of a Showgirl, wearing original Bob Mackie designs. She chose bejewelled, crystal encrusted outfits for the album photoshoot, paying homage to the vintage glamour of showgirl costumes.
7. He changed our idea of what a ‘diva’ looks like
Mackie’s work is often remembered for high octane drama and daring designs, but his influence runs deeper. His collaborations with Cher, Tina Turner and Diana Ross came about at a time when women were taking more control of their careers and lives. Costume became one of the tools to construct a public identity and independence.
The V&A’s DIVA exhibition in 2023 showcased this relationship between costume, self-expression and performance by bringing together some of the world’s most iconic costumes, including Mackie’s designs for Cher and Tina Turner. Mackie also designed everyday wear, including a fabulous evening dress made in 1991.
He will be remembered as the incredible designer who once said of his clients: “don't try to change them, just make them look better than ever”.
