Hollywood designer Bob Mackie, whose glittering creations helped define the looks of stars including Cher and Elton John, has died aged 87.
Mackie’s official Instagram account announced his death on Monday. His cause of death was not disclosed.
“His genius and extraordinary designs will live on forever, continuing to bring beauty into this world,” his team said in the post.
Born in 1939 to a middle-class family in Monterey Park, California, Mackie built a career spanning five decades, becoming one of entertainment’s most recognisable costume designers.
Known for his use of sequins, rhinestones and theatrical silhouettes, Mackie was nominated for more than 30 Emmy Awards and won nine. He also received Academy Award nominations for costume design in Lady Sings the Blues, Funny Lady and Pennies From Heaven.
His work extended beyond stage and screen, including a collection of clothes for Barbie dolls.
One of Mackie’s best-known television creations came during his 11-year run on The Carol Burnett Show. In a parody of the 1939 classic Gone with the Wind, Burnett wore his famous “curtain dress”, complete with a brass curtain rod balanced on her shoulders and a valance fashioned into a hat.
The costume is now part of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History collection.
Source: Khaleej Times
