{"id":600373,"date":"2026-09-14T20:06:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T20:06:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/600373\/"},"modified":"2026-09-14T20:06:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T20:06:14","slug":"bob-mackie-legendary-fashion-and-costume-designer-dies-at-87","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/600373\/","title":{"rendered":"Bob Mackie, Legendary Fashion and Costume Designer, Dies at 87"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Gist<\/p>\n

Bob Mackie, the legendary designer, is dead. A statement shared to social media broke the news.<\/p>\n

Mackie notably created designs for Cher, Miley Cyrus, and more.<\/p>\n

He was 87 at the time of his death.<\/p>\n

Bob Mackie<\/a>, the designer whose glittering, extravagant creations<\/a> helped define the look of some of the 20th century’s biggest stars, has died at 87. His death was announced Monday, September 14, in a statement shared on his social media accounts. A cause of death has not yet been revealed.<\/p>\n

“It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Mr. Bob Mackie passed away today,” the post read<\/a> of the designer, who was born on March 24, 1939, in Monterey Park, California. “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. His genius and extraordinary designs will live on forever, continuing to bring beauty into this world.”<\/p>\n

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For decades, Mackie disrupted the scene by being unapologetically bold. Before even launching his own ready-to-wear fashion line, Bob Mackie Originals, in 1982, he had already left his mark in the industry at the age of 22.<\/p>\n

While working for costume designer Jean Louis in 1962, a young Mackie sketched the now-iconic gown Marilyn Monroe<\/a> wore to serenade President John F. Kennedy at his birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden. Louis brought Mackie’s sketch to life, creating the flesh-toned, rhinestone-covered dress that Monroe wore for her famous “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” performance.<\/p>\n

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Perhaps more than anyone, the designer believed that clothes are supposed to steal the show. Known affectionately as the “Sultan of Sequins,” he went on to dress a remarkable roster of entertainers, including Cher, Carol Burnett, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Elton John, Whitney Houston, Dolly Parton, and Madonna.<\/p>\n

His work with Cher alone has become one of the most memorable partnerships. Mackie was the force behind her famous feathered headdress and barely-there ensemble for the 1986 Academy Awards. He also created the sheer, beaded gown she wore to the 1974 Met Gala, a look that helped establish the kind of unabashedly sexy red-carpet dressing that remains familiar today.<\/p>\n

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In addition to his work with the biggest stars, he also designed costumes for the entire 11-year run of The Carol Burnett Show, earned nine Emmy Awards and three Oscar nominations, and won a Tony for The Cher Show in 2019. His influence reached beyond Hollywood, too, through his ready-to-wear collections and collectible Barbie designs.<\/p>\n

As for his personal life, Mackie was married to singer and actress LuLu Porter (born Marianne Wolfard) from 1960 to 1963. They welcomed a son, Robert Gordon Mackie Jr., in 1959, who tragically passed in 1993. Following Mackie’s divorce from Porter, he began seeing fellow costume designer Ray Aghayan; they remained life and professional partners until Aghayan passed away in 2011.<\/p>\n

Mackie leaves behind more than a wardrobe of unforgettable looks. He helped establish the idea that fashion could be performance, personality, pure spectacle\u2014and that idea that a little glitter ensures the life of the party never dies.<\/p>\n

Read the original article on InStyle<\/a><\/p>\n