Bob Mackie, the Hollywood costume designer whose creations defined glamour for stars like Cher, Diana Ross, and Marilyn Monroe, died Monday at age 87 in Palm Springs, California, from pneumonia, according to his publicist.
Mackie's death was announced via his official Instagram page, with a tribute posted by his representative. Born in Monterey Park, California, in 1939, Mackie began his career working for costume designer Jean Louis before rising to prominence in the 1970s.
His designs for Cher on 'The Sonny and Cher Show' became iconic, and he famously sketched the sheer, beaded gown Marilyn Monroe wore when she sang 'Happy Birthday' to President John F. Kennedy in 1962. The dress, which Mackie sketched after Monroe requested something 'flesh-colored and sparkly,' ended up on the cover of Time magazine.
Mackie's client list read like a who's who of entertainment: Madonna, Barbra Streisand, Sharon Stone, Diana Ross, Whoopi Goldberg, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Liza Minnelli, Elton John, Dolly Parton, Tina Turner, RuPaul, Pink, and Carol Burnett, among others. He also designed concert costumes for Pink and the feathered ensembles Cher wore at the 1974 Met Gala, including a sheer beaded gown with white feathered sleeves and skirt.
Mackie's work extended beyond individual gowns. He launched a ready-to-wear line in 1982 that landed on the runway at New York Fashion Week, and he was an early partner of QVC. In later years, he admitted to being unimpressed with the trend of 'naked dresses,' telling People in 1994: 'You watch awards shows and say, "Oh, cover up!"'
His career was decorated with numerous honors. Mackie won nine Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and was nominated for three Oscars, including one for Barbra Streisand's 'Funny Lady.' He was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame in 2002.
The documentary 'Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion' debuted in 2024, offering a look back at his life and work. In it, Cher recalled how Mackie's designs helped her transform: 'Everybody just went crazy over this...' She explained that Mackie helped her 'get revenge' on those who doubted her style.
Mackie's own philosophy about his work was clear. As he told People in 1994, 'I never looked in a fashion magazine when I was a kid.' He often described his creations as costumes, not fashion, noting that 'outfits are sometimes mistaken for fashion but are costumes.'
His impact on pop culture was evident in a 2024 auction where a Cher dress from 1975 sold for $101,600, 25 times its original estimate. Taylor Swift also turned to Mackie's archives for the cover of her 2025 album 'The Life of a Showgirl.'
Carol Burnett, who worked with Mackie on her variety show, once said: 'There are fashion designers who don't do costumes, and there are costume designers who don't do fashion.' Mackie himself recalled the variety of his work: 'One week I'd have to make Carol an unattractive postal worker, and who knows what I'd have to do the next.'
Pink, who wore his concert costumes, wrote on Instagram: 'I was so lucky to be dressed by him for so long.' Diana Ross also posted a picture with Mackie, writing: 'So, so sorry to hear this news.'
Mackie died in Palm Springs, California, where he had lived for years. His death was confirmed by his representative to People magazine, and his passing marks the end of an era in Hollywood glamour, leaving behind a legacy that forever changed the way we see fashion on screen and stage.