LOS ANGELES — Hollywood has lost one of the men who helped define glamour.
Legendary fashion and costume designer Bob Mackie, whose dazzling creations transformed Cher, Marilyn Monroe, Carol Burnett, Diana Ross, Tina Turner and countless other stars into unforgettable pop-culture icons, has died at 87.
Mackie died Monday, September 14, 2026, in Palm Springs, California. His death was confirmed by his representatives and longtime design director. AP later reported that his publicist said he died from pneumonia, while Reuters initially reported that no cause of death had been disclosed.
His official social media account announced the death, describing Mackie as a man who had fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming a fashion and costume designer.
The man who made Cher unforgettable
For generations of fans, Mackie’s name was inseparable from Cher.
Their professional relationship began in television in the early 1970s and eventually became one of the most recognizable designer-performer partnerships in entertainment history.
Mackie created many of Cher’s most daring looks, including the sheer, beaded gown she wore to the 1974 Met Gala, her dramatic 1986 Oscars ensemble with a feathered Mohawk, and other provocative costumes that helped turn the singer into a fashion icon.
Cher herself paid tribute to Mackie following his death, remembering her longtime collaborator as her “sweet Prince” and saying he had gone to heaven with sequins, beads and his sketch pad.
Their relationship was more than a conventional designer-client partnership. Mackie understood how to use clothing to amplify Cher’s personality, confidence and stage presence.
His connection to Marilyn Monroe came before Cher
Long before Mackie became synonymous with Cher, he was already working behind the scenes on one of Hollywood history’s most famous fashion moments.
While working as an assistant to legendary costume designer Jean Louis, Mackie sketched the design for the crystal-covered gown worn by Marilyn Monroe when she famously sang “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy in 1962.
The dress became one of the most recognizable garments in entertainment history.
Decades later, the same gown returned to the spotlight when Kim Kardashian wore it to the 2022 Met Gala—an appearance that Mackie publicly criticized because he believed the historic garment should have remained preserved.
From Carol Burnett’s comedy to Hollywood glamour
Mackie’s genius was not limited to glamorous gowns.
He also understood comedy, character and spectacle.
His breakthrough came with “The Carol Burnett Show,” where he spent 11 seasons creating extraordinary costumes for Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Tim Conway, Lyle Waggoner and the show’s many guest stars.
According to The New York Times’ obituary, Mackie produced an astonishing average of about 60 costumes a week during the show’s run.
Among his most famous creations was the curtain costume worn by Burnett during the show’s legendary parody of Gone With the Wind. The costume included a curtain rod and became so iconic that it was eventually placed in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
A career filled with awards
Mackie’s influence was recognized throughout the entertainment industry.
He earned nine Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and three Academy Award nominations. He was also inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2002.
His Oscar-nominated work included costumes for Lady Sings the Blues, Funny Lady and Pennies From Heaven.
His Tony came decades later for his work on Broadway’s “The Cher Show,” which celebrated Cher’s extraordinary career and fashion history.
The “Sultan of Sequins” leaves a legacy far beyond Hollywood
Mackie became known by colorful nicknames including the “Sultan of Sequins,” “Rajah of Rhinestones” and “Guru of Glitter.”
But his influence extended far beyond celebrity wardrobes.
He designed costumes and gowns for stars including Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Elton John, Madonna, Dolly Parton, RuPaul, Barbra Streisand and many others.
He also created elaborate fashions for Barbie, beginning in the 1980s, producing some of the doll’s most extravagant collector designs.
And his influence did not disappear with the passing of the generation he originally dressed.
Mackie’s designs continued to inspire and be worn by contemporary stars, including Miley Cyrus, Zendaya, Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter, demonstrating how strongly his visual language continues to influence modern pop culture.
Hollywood remembers a designer who made fashion feel like entertainment
Tributes began pouring in after news of his death.
Bernadette Peters, who worked with Mackie for decades, remembered him as one of the most talented people she had ever met, while other performers and designers described him as a singular creative force.
Mackie himself once explained that his costumes were not simply clothes.
They were part of a performance.
That philosophy explains why so many of his creations remain recognizable decades later: he wasn’t simply dressing celebrities—he was helping create the characters the world would remember.
From Marilyn Monroe’s historic moment with Kennedy to Cher’s daring red-carpet appearances, from Carol Burnett’s hilarious curtain dress to Broadway and Barbie, Bob Mackie’s career became a glittering thread running through generations of American entertainment.
And perhaps that is the most fitting legacy for the designer who believed fashion should be fun:
Bob Mackie didn’t just make stars look spectacular. He made them impossible to forget.
Why Bob Mackie’s legacy matters today
Mackie’s death closes a remarkable chapter in Hollywood costume history, but his influence is still visible in contemporary celebrity culture.
The extravagant red-carpet spectacle, theatrical concert costumes and deliberately provocative celebrity fashion that dominate today’s entertainment landscape owe something to the world Mackie helped create. His designs blurred the boundaries between fashion, costume, comedy and performance, turning clothing itself into part of the entertainment.
That is why, even after his death at 87, Bob Mackie’s name remains sewn into the history of Hollywood glamour.
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