Legendary costume designer Bob Mackie dies at 87

Bob Mackie, the legendary costume designer known as the "Sultan of Sequins" for his dazzling creations worn by Cher, Tina Turner, Dolly Parton and Elton John, has died at 87. 

His death was announced Monday in a statement posted to his Instagram account. 

"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."

Over a career spanning decades, Mackie won a Tony Award, nine Emmys and earned three Oscar nominations. 

He was perhaps most closely associated with Cher, having designed her legendary Mohawk outfit for the 1986 Oscars, a showgirl-inspired look featuring a plumed headdress and a bare midriff that became known as her "revenge" dress, worn the year she wasn't nominated for a film many expected her to be recognized for, Mask. 

"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 reflected on their creative partnership in a 2010 BBC interview, saying Cher "looked like no-one else in the entertainment business at the time," adding, "Everybody just went crazy over this woman as she could wear anything." 

Cher was widely reported to be the first woman to show her belly button on American television, with Mackie's designs central to that moment.

Born Robert Gordon Mackie in Monterey Park, California, in 1939, he began his career as a sketch artist for costume designer Jean Louis, an early assignment that included sketching the dress Marilyn Monroe wore for her famous rendition of "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" for John F. Kennedy in 1962. 

Mackie married singer and actress Lulu Porter in 1960, the two divorced three years later and had a son, Robin, who died in his early thirties from an AIDS-related illness. 

Mackie was later in a relationship with Iranian fashion designer Ray Aghayan from 1963 until Aghayan's death in 2011. 

Reflecting on his longevity in the industry during a 2018 interview with The Guardian, Mackie said, "I think I'm the oldest living designer in Hollywood." 

Asked if he'd ever retire, his answer was simple: "I hope not."