Bob Mackie, the costume and fashion designer whose sequined creations defined some of entertainment's biggest stars, died on September 14, 2026. He was 87.
"It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Mr. Bob Mackie passed away today," a statement shared to his Instagram account read. "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. His genius and extraordinary designs will live on forever, continuing to bring beauty into this world."
A cause of death has not yet been confirmed. Mackie was preceded in death by his son, Robert "Robin" Mackie Jr., whom he shared with his ex, Lulu Porter, as well as his longtime partner, Ray Aghayan, who died in 2011.
Early career and the Marilyn Monroe gown
Mackie broke into the fashion industry in the 1960s as an assistant to costume designer Jean Louis. During that period, he helped design the sheer, crystal-covered gown that Marilyn Monroe wore to sing "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy in 1962, a look that has since become one of the most recognized garments in pop culture history.
Mackie later criticized Kim Kardashian for wearing the original dress to the 2022 Met Gala, the annual fundraising gala for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York. "Nobody else should be seen in that dress," he said at the time.
Reinventing the Vegas showgirl and The Carol Burnett Show
Mackie went on to modernize the classic Las Vegas showgirl aesthetic and built his reputation further when comedian Carol Burnett began wearing his elaborate, often theatrical designs on her CBS variety program. He designed more than 17,000 outfits for the show over its run, including the widely remembered "Curtain Rod" dress. His work on the series earned him an Emmy nomination in 1969, and he later won his sixth Emmy trophy in 1991 for his costume design on her follow-up series, Carol & Company.
The 'Sultan of Sequins' and Cher
Known throughout the industry as the "Sultan of Sequins," Mackie found his most famous creative partnership in singer and actress Cher, who became his muse for more than 40 years.
"I am reminded again and again that there is simply no end to the talent and influence Bob Mackie has had on me," Cher told Harper's Bazaar in 2024.
Across their decades of collaboration, Mackie earned 32 Emmy nominations, winning nine, and took home a Tony Award in 2019 for Best Costume Design for The Cher Show, the Broadway musical based on Cher's life and career.
Mackie often said his signature style was rooted in a childhood fascination with old Hollywood glamour. "The thing is that my old memories of divas are from going to early movie musicals, when I was maybe four, five, six years old," he told Vogue Australia in 2025. "You have to know how that person moves on stage, how they walk, when they sing, what are the kind of poses that they take."
A lasting influence on Taylor Swift and today's stars
Mackie's designs continued to be worn by a new generation of performers, including Miley Cyrus, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift, who pulled one of his archival designs for the album artwork of The Life of a Showgirl.
Mackie said he was taken aback by the tribute. "I always think of Taylor Swift being this little girl who used to write songs about fairytale princesses and whatever and there she is looking like a showgirl," he told E! News last year. "It's exciting when you do something and you like it and then 30 years later, we pull it out of the vault. And then people look at it and go, 'Oh, I get it now.'"
