ع
A statement posted on Mackie’s official Instagram account announced his death on September 14, 2026, noting that he lived his 87 years to the fullest while fulfilling his dream of being a fashion and costume designer whose genius and extraordinary designs will live on forever. Entertainment Weekly reported that the designer died of pneumonia at 10:40 a.m. that day in Palm Springs, with a representative confirming the cause to the publication. Cher, his longtime collaborator, paid tribute on X by writing “My dear Bob has gone up to heaven. Knowing him, he’s bringing Sequins, Beads, & his sketch pad. Good nite sweet Prince.” Carol Burnett told USA Today that “Sadness doesn’t come close to how I feel. I loved him very much” while praising him as a genius who could do both fashion and costumes like no one else.
The Hollywood Reporter detailed how Mackie earned the nickname Sultan of Sequins for his spectacular, over-the-top outfits created for Cher, Diana Ross, Mitzi Gaynor and Carol Burnett during a five-decade career that included work on Burnett’s CBS variety show for all 11 seasons. Vogue noted that he began his professional path after one year of art school by sketching in the costume department at Paramount Studios for designer Frank Thompson, whose credits included Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. According to the Television Academy, Mackie won the first-ever Emmy Award for costume design in 1967 and went on to secure nine competitive Emmys in total from more than 30 nominations while being inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2002.
CNN reported that Mackie’s collaboration with Cher included the barely-there sheer illusion dress with white feathers that she wore to the 1974 Met Gala as well as the midriff-baring outfit with an oversized Mohawk headdress for the 1986 Academy Awards and the transparent body stocking for her If I Could Turn Back Time video. The Guardian highlighted additional memorable designs such as the exotic ensemble for Cher at the 1986 Oscars and noted his work for stars ranging from Marilyn Monroe to Liza Minnelli, Elton John, Dolly Parton and Tina Turner. People magazine outlined how Mackie created the curtain dress complete with a curtain rod and valence hat that Burnett wore in the Went With the Wind sketch on her show, a piece later donated to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History after he produced an estimated 17,000 costumes across the series.
BroadwayWorld stated that Mackie won the 2019 Tony Award for best costume design in a musical for The Cher Show, which recreated many of his looks for the singer and even featured a character based on him, while his other Broadway credits included On the Town, Moon Over Buffalo and Putting It Together. A Vogue assessment found that he earned three Academy Award nominations for his film work, including shared nods with longtime partner Ray Aghayan for Funny Lady in 1976 and Pennies From Heaven in 1982 as well as for Lady Sings the Blues in 1973. The Hollywood Reporter added that on Funny Lady he and Aghayan created 40 complete 1930s-style outfits including all accessories for Barbra Streisand’s portrayal of Fanny Brice.
Britannica figures show that Mackie also sketched the famous sheer, rhinestone-crusted gown Marilyn Monroe wore to sing Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy in 1962 while assisting designer Jean Louis, and he later partnered with Mattel to create diverse outfits for collectible Barbie dolls reflecting real women’s heritages. According to Wikipedia, he designed Elton John’s sequined Los Angeles Dodgers uniform for his 1975 Dodger Stadium concert and recreated elements for the singer’s 2022 farewell tour. The New York Times reported in a career overview that Mackie once said a woman who wears his clothes is not afraid to be noticed, a philosophy that defined his bold, bejeweled and feathered aesthetic across television, film, stage and concerts.
Survivors include a granddaughter and great-granddaughters, Vogue reported, with no immediate details released on memorial plans following the announcement that emphasized how his designs will continue to bring beauty into the world. The Guardian noted that Mackie’s flamboyant outfits helped celebrities including Cher, Tina Turner and Elton John cause a stir on red carpets and stages for more than 50 years, cementing his place as a defining figure in entertainment costume design.
