He is gone at 87 — the legendary designer who made Hollywood sparkle

I’ll verify the death report first, then clean the article.**Bob Mackie, the designer who dressed Cher and Carol Burnett, dies at 87

For generations, Bob Mackie did far more than make clothes.

He created unforgettable characters.

From Cher’s daring stage looks to the outrageous costumes on *The Carol Burnett Show*, Mackie understood that fashion could make people laugh, gasp, and dream.

Mackie died in Palm Springs, California, at 87 from pneumonia, his representative said. His team announced the news on Instagram:

“It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Mr. Bob Mackie passed away today. 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.”

Tributes followed quickly from the stars who knew him best.

Cher, his longtime muse and friend, wrote on X: “My dear Bob has gone up to heaven. Knowing him, he’s bringing Sequins, Beads, & his sketch pad. Good nite sweet Prince.”

Their partnership helped redefine what a celebrity could wear. Mackie dressed Cher in looks that were glamorous, outrageous, and sometimes deliberately shocking — and he always understood how to make her shine.

He also worked with Carol Burnett, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Bette Midler, and many others.

Burnett, whose television show Mackie helped transform with costumes across its entire 11-year run beginning in 1967, said: “Sadness doesn’t come close to how I feel. 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.”

She once recalled the scale of his work: “He designed 50 costumes a week for our show.”

Mackie never treated the job as simply making clothes.

“I’ve never been one of those people for whom fashion was my religion,” he said in 1994. “I love dressing people, but just making clothes for people to wear is so heartless. It’s more fun to create a character or a look for a show — to do something that’s emotionally fulfilling for the audience and the performer. That’s where my heart is.”

He earned nine Emmy Awards from 32 nominations, received three Oscar nominations, and won a Tony for *The Cher Show*. His designs later influenced younger stars, including Zendaya and Miley Cyrus, who returned to his archives decades after many of his most famous creations first appeared.

Barbra Streisand called him an “incredible talent.”

“He designed one gorgeous outfit after another for me in *Funny Lady*,” she recalled. “He might continue designing creations for the angels.”

Bette Midler remembered him as “extraordinarily talented.” Goldie Hawn described him as having the “essence of an angel.”

Elton John wrote: “Every time I put something on that Bob made, I felt very, very special. His costumes were works of art, and he will go down as one of the most legendary designers ever in Hollywood. His clothes were made so beautifully. He loved glamour like I love glamour, but more than anything, we shared the same sense of humour and had so much fun together. In a sea of ego, he seemed to have none. One of the most courteous, incredible people I ever had the pleasure of working with.”

Fran Drescher called him a “wonderful, talented person.” Stylist Law Roach described him as “one of the greatest designers in the history of American fashion.”

Behind the sequins was also a father and grandfather who lived through profound loss. Mackie married LuLu Porter in 1960. They had a son, Robin, and divorced three years later.

Robin struggled with addiction and, after getting sober, was diagnosed with AIDS. He died from an AIDS-related illness in 1993.

“As a parent, you only want the best. And when it’s not like that, you just wish you could trade places,” Mackie said in 1994.

Later he learned Robin had a daughter. He reconnected with his granddaughter and eventually met two great-granddaughters.

His career spanned more than six decades. He is survived by his granddaughter Alyssa Townsend, his great-granddaughters Kyla and Keira Townsend, and his former wife Lulu Porter.