For generations, Bob Mackie did far more than make clothes.
He created unforgettable characters.
From Cher’s daring stage looks to the outrageous costumes on The Carol Burnett Show, Mackie understood that fashion could make people laugh, gasp, dream.
Now, Hollywood has lost one of its most distinctive creative voices.
Mackie died in Palm Springs, California, at the age of 87 from pneumonia, according to his representative. His team announced the heartbreaking news on Instagram, writing:
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Mr. Bob Mackie passed away today. 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.”
And within hours, tributes began pouring in from the stars who knew him best.
Perhaps none was more fitting than Cher, his longtime muse and friend.
The two created some of the most recognizable looks in entertainment history, and Cher paid tribute to Mackie on X.
“My dear Bob has gone up to heaven. Knowing him, he’s bringing Sequins, Beads, & his sketch pad. Good nite sweet Prince (sic),” she wrote.
Their creative partnership helped redefine what a celebrity could wear. Mackie dressed Cher in looks that were glamorous, outrageous and sometimes deliberately shocking — and he always understood exactly how to make her shine.
But Cher was far from his only legendary client.
Mackie worked with Carol Burnett, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Bette Midler and countless other stars throughout his extraordinary career.
Carol Burnett, whose iconic television show Mackie helped transform with his costumes, shared a deeply personal tribute alongside a throwback photo of the two.
“Sadness doesn’t come close to how I feel. I loved him very much,” the 93-year-old said. “As for his genius, there are fashion designers who don’t do costumes and there are costume designers who don’t do fashion. Bob did it all. There was no one like him.”
Mackie designed costumes for The Carol Burnett Show throughout its entire 11-year run beginning in 1967. Burnett once recalled just how extraordinary his workload could be.
“He was the best,” she told People in 2010.
“He designed 50 costumes a week for our show.”
And Mackie never saw his work as simply making clothes.
“I’ve never been one of those people for whom fashion was my religion,” he said in 1994. “I love dressing people, but just making clothes for people to wear is so heartless. It’s more fun to create a character or a look for a show — to do something that’s emotionally fulfilling for the audience and the performer. That’s where my heart is.”
That philosophy became his legacy.
He earned nine Emmy Awards from 32 nominations, received three Oscar nominations and won a Tony for The Cher Show. His designs have continued to influence younger generations, with stars such as Zendaya and Miley Cyrus turning to his archives decades after many of his most famous creations first appeared.
Other stars also remembered the man behind the glitter.
Barbra Streisand called Mackie an “incredible talent.”
“He designed one gorgeous outfit after another for me in Funny Lady,” she recalled. “He might continue designing creations for the angels.”
Bette Midler remembered him as “extraordinarily talented,” while Goldie Hawn described him as having the “essence of an angel.”
Elton John, another longtime client and friend, shared an especially heartfelt tribute.
“Every time I put something on that Bob made, I felt very, very special. His costumes were works of art, and he will go down as one of the most legendary designers ever in Hollywood,” he wrote.
“His clothes were made so beautifully. He loved glamour like I love glamour, but more than anything, we shared the same sense of humour and had so much fun together. In a sea of ego, he seemed to have none. One of the most courteous, incredible people I ever had the pleasure of working with.”
Fran Drescher called Mackie a “wonderful, talented person,” while celebrity stylist Law Roach described him as “one of the greatest designers in the history of American fashion.”
Behind the sequins and celebrity was also a father and grandfather who experienced profound personal loss. Mackie married LuLu Porter in 1960, and they had a son, Robin. The couple divorced three years later.
Robin struggled with addiction and, after getting sober, was diagnosed with AIDS.
He died from an AIDS-related illness in 1993.
“As a parent, you only want the best. And when it’s not like that, you just wish you could trade places,” Mackie said of his son’s struggles in 1994.
Later in life, he discovered that Robin had a daughter. Mackie was able to reconnect with his granddaughter and eventually met his two great-granddaughters as well.
His professional life spanned more than six decades, but his greatest gift may have been the joy he brought to millions of people through his work. He is survived by his granddaughter Alyssa Townsend, his great-granddaughters Kyla and Keira Townsend and his former wife Lulu Porter.
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