Bob Mackie, the renowned fashion and costume designer known for dressing Hollywood’s biggest stars, has died at the age of 87.
The Emmy-winning designer’s death was announced on his Instagram account Monday, Sept. 14.
“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,” the announcement said. It added that his “genius and extraordinary designs will live on forever, continuing to bring beauty into this world.”
For more than 50 years, Mackie, who was known as the “sultan of sequins,” designed sparkling costumes for stars including Diana Ross, Tina Turner and Cher.
His work for celebrities such as Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli and Carol Burnett was admired by people around the world.
Mackie was born in Monterey Park, a Los Angeles suburb, and began his career as a costume design sketch artist in 1961. Five years later, his career took a major turn when he was asked to create a new look for actress, singer and dancer Mitzi Gaynor.
After seeing some of Mackie’s early solo designs, Carol Burnett’s producer hired him to create the costumes for “The Carol Burnett Show.” Mackie worked on the show for 11 seasons.
The renowned designer later won an Emmy for “Cher: Live in Concert from Las Vegas” in 1999 and “Cher: The Farewell Tour” in 2003.
