Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning costume designer Bob Mackie, who crafted outfits for luminaries such as Cher and Diana Ross and served as the costume designer on “The Carol Burnett Show,” died Monday at age 87.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Mr. Bob Mackie passed away today,” according to an announcement on his social media pages. “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 was not released.
The New York Times reported that Mackie died in Palm Springs.
A Monterey Park native, Mackie got his start working with legendary costumer Edith Head at Paramount Studios, and he gained attention working with Mitzi Gaynor, earning a pair of Emmy nominations for his designs on Gaynor’s TV specials.
His first work with Diana Ross came in the late 1960s for a TV special, but he later earned an Oscar nomination for his work on the Ross film “Lady Sings the Blues.”
Ross posted a red-carpet photo of herself with Mackie on social media Monday following news of his death, writing simply, “So so sorry to hear this news.”
He gained particular notoriety for his work on “The Carol Burnett Show,” for which Burnett once said Mackie designed 50 outfits per week. His most memorable creation on the show was a curtain rod dress Burnett wore in a spoof “Gone with the Wind” sketch.
“Sadness doesn’t come close to how I feel,” Burnett wrote on her Instagram page Monday. “I loved him very much. As for his genius, there are fashion designers who don’t do costumes and there are costume designers who don’t do fashion. Bob did it all. There was no one like him.”
Mackie met Cher during his time working on “Carol Burnett,” and he went on to design many of her eye-catching and often risqué dresses and gowns.
Over the years he worked with celebrities including Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, Barbra Streisand, Donna Summer, Tina Turner, Lucille Ball and Ann-Margret.
MyFoxNewsLA.com, You really had to credit the NY Times to say that Bob Mackie died in Palm Springs? Seriously?!
You’re in Los Angeles but you didn’t know Mackie lived in Palm Springs? You had to check with a media company in NY?
The Desert Sun or the Los Angeles Times didn’t clue you in?