Gay fashion and costume designer Bob Mackie, whose more than six-decade career put his work on everyone from Cher and Elton John to Diana Ross and Tina Turner, died Monday, Sept. 14. He was 87.
His death was announced in a statement posted to his social media accounts. A cause of death was not disclosed.
“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,” the statement read. “His genius and extraordinary designs will live on forever, continuing to bring beauty into this world.”
Born Robert Gordon Mackie in Monterey Park, California, in 1939, Mackie began his career in Hollywood in the early 1960s. While working for designer Jean Louis, Mackie drew the original sketch for the sheer, beaded gown Marilyn Monroe wore to sing “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy in 1962.
It would be far from his last memorable look.
Mackie went on to dress some of the biggest names in entertainment, but his creative partnership with Cher became one of the most recognizable of his career. He designed costumes for “The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour” and continued working with the singer for decades, including on the elaborate feathered headdress and midriff-baring ensemble she wore to the 1986 Academy Awards.
His work with other LGBTQ+ performers included Elton John, for whom Mackie designed the sequined Los Angeles Dodgers uniform he wore during his 1975 concerts at Dodger Stadium and a Donald Duck costume complete with webbed feet.
Mackie was gay himself, and his connection to queer culture extended beyond the stars he dressed. He became particularly influential in drag, earning the nickname “patron saint of drag queens” and becoming a frequent reference on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
RuPaul even reworked one of the show’s best-known lines in his honor: “We’re all born naked, and the rest is Bob Mackie.”
Mackie’s designs continued appearing on some of the biggest stages in entertainment well into the 21st century. Miley Cyrus wore a vintage Mackie dress while performing “Flowers” at the 2024 Grammy Awards, where she won her first Grammys. That same year, Zendaya wore an archival Mackie gown while honoring Cher at her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction.
His career also brought some of the entertainment industry’s highest honors. Mackie won nine Emmy Awards and a Tony Award and received three Academy Award nominations for costume design. In 2002 he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. His Tony came in 2019 for his costume design for the Broadway musical “The Cher Show.”
In 2025, Mackie was recognized as an Out100 Groundbreaker, placing the designer himself among the LGBTQ+ people celebrated for their impact on culture.
For Mackie, the distinction between fashion and costume design mattered.
“I never think of myself as being in fashion; I’m a costume designer in show business, which isn’t the same,” he told Out in 2025. “A costume designer really contributes to the storytelling.”
In that same interview, Mackie was asked what advice he had for LGBTQ+ people navigating a difficult political and cultural climate.
“Just be honest with yourself,” he said. “Do what you do best. Try to work your life so that it works for you in the best possible way.”
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