Bob Mackie, Designer Who Dressed Cher and Carol Burnett, Dies at 87

Legendary costume designer Bob Mackie has died at age 87. Known as the "Sultan of Sequins," he created iconic looks for Cher, Carol Burnett, Diana Ross, and Dolly Parton, earning nine Emmy Awards and designing over 17,000 television costumes.

Key Takeaways

• Bob Mackie, iconic costume designer and "Sultan of Sequins," died on Monday at age 87.
• He created unforgettable television moments, including Carol Burnett’s green velvet "curtain rod" dress in "Went With the Wind!" and Cher’s 1986 Mohawk Oscar look.
• Mackie won nine Emmy Awards, three Oscar nominations, a Tony Award for The Cher Show, and received CFDA lifetime achievement honors.
• His Instagram account confirmed his passing, noting he lived the life he wanted; no cause of death has been released.
• He designed for Mitzi Gaynor, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Dolly Parton, and modern pop stars like Miley Cyrus and Sabrina Carpenter.

Bob Mackie, the costume designer who made Cher’s midriff and Carol Burnett’s curtain rod famous, died Monday at 87.

His Instagram account confirmed his passing, stating he had lived the life he wanted — fashion and costume design — and that the work would outlast him. No cause of death was given in the initial family statement.

Mackie was celebrated as the Sultan of Sequins, the Rajah of Rhinestones, and the Guru of Glitter. He built clothes meant to be seen from both the back of a studio audience and the front row of an awards gala.

Iconic Outfits Defining an Era

Two legendary looks dominate public memory:

1. Carol Burnett: As Scarlett O’Hara in the “Went With the Wind!” sketch on *The Carol Burnett Show*, wearing the green velvet curtain-rod dress that parodied *Gone With the Wind*. Burnett later noted he designed more than 17,000 pieces across the show’s 11 seasons. Mackie won the first Emmy ever given specifically for television costume design.

2. Cher: The 1986 Oscars ensemble — sheer black beading, cutout midriff, and giant feathered Mohawk headpiece. Mackie dressed Cher on *The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour*, throughout her concert tours, and later earned a Tony Award for *The Cher Show*.

A Historic Scoreboard

Mackie’s legendary career included nine Emmy Awards, three Oscar nominations (sharing one for *Funny Lady* with Ray Aghayan), induction into the Television Academy Hall of Fame, a CFDA lifetime achievement award, and a 1999 retrospective at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT).

Starting out as a sketch artist in 1961, he designed Mitzi Gaynor’s Las Vegas stage act in 1966, prompting Carol Burnett to hire him immediately after. He firmly believed that any woman wearing his creations was never afraid to be noticed.

Sources: Mackie Instagram; CNN; Hollywood Reporter; Variety; NBC News; NYT/NPR archives.