Bob Mackie Dies at 87: Designer Who Dressed Cher, Diana Ross
Costume and fashion designer Bob Mackie died on Monday, September 14, 2026, at 87. His team announced the news on social media; sources differ on the cause of death.
Fashion and costume designer Bob Mackie died on Monday, September 14, 2026, at the age of 87. His team shared the news on his official social media accounts the same day he died.
The cause of death is unclear, and sources do not even agree on whether it has been made public. The Novosti portal and the American outlet MyNewsLA both report that a cause of death has not yet been announced. The description of a story from the American network NPR, which could not be opened in full, mentions pneumonia and names Palm Springs as the location, but that version remains unconfirmed by either of this article’s two main sources.
The team’s own post was short and personal.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that Mr. Bob Mackie passed away today. He lived his 87 years to the fullest, achieving his dream of being a fashion and costume designer, which was the only thing he ever wanted to do,” members of his team said in a post carried by Novosti.
Mackie became known for glamorous, eccentric and dramatic creations. Feathers, sequins and bold cuts were his signature, on stage as much as on the small screen, decades before that look became standard on red carpets.
He began his career at Paramount studio, working alongside costume designer Edith Head. He made his name on The Carol Burnett Show, where he designed the costumes for all 11 seasons. According to MyNewsLA, he produced around 50 costumes a week for the show. His best known creation for it remains the dress sewn from curtains, made for a parody of Gone with the Wind.
It was on that same show that he met Cher. The acquaintance grew into a collaboration that lasted for decades and made Mackie one of the most recognizable names in American fashion. Besides Cher, he dressed Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Liza Minnelli, Madonna, Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland and Marlene Dietrich.
He first worked with Diana Ross in the late 1960s, on a television special. That collaboration later earned him an Oscar nomination, for the costumes in Lady Sings the Blues, in which Ross played the lead role.
The scale of his career shows in his awards. Novosti cites nine Emmy Awards, one Tony and three Oscar nominations for best costume design. He was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2002, the same outlet reports.
MyNewsLA adds that Mackie was born in Monterey Park, and that beyond the names already mentioned, he dressed Lucille Ball, Ann-Margret and Donna Summer during his career, and earned two Emmy nominations for Mitzi Gaynor’s television specials early on.
Mackie was never just the costume designer for one show or one star. He also worked with Cher outside of television, dressing her for concerts, tours and public appearances in which the singer built an image remembered for its bold cuts and for looking unlike anything else on stage. As far as is known, that collaboration continued into the final years of his career.
No official date or location for a funeral has been announced yet. Neither Novosti nor MyNewsLA report a planned memorial service, and his team has not issued a follow up statement.
