He said he loved seeing stars like Carmen Miranda and Betty Grable dressed up in their expressive outfits and was a big fan of musicals of the 1940s and 1950s, which, in particular, featured vibrant designs.
“When I was about 11, I went to see ‘An American in Paris.’ When I saw the ballet (scene), I thought, ‘Oh I think I can do that kind of work,’” Mackie said. “That’s when I got really serious about it in school. I kept pushing forward until I got my first job in Hollywood.”
He first worked for Paramount Studios as a sketch artist, and then for legendary costume designer Edith Head in the 1960s. But he truly made a name for himself with the looks he designed for the television series “The Sonny and Cher Show” and “The Carol Burnett Show.” Fans of the “Gone with the Wind” spoof from Burnett’s variety show will likely never forget the outlandish curtain dress she donned, which was all thanks to Mackie. He also designed costumes for several films and was nominated for three Academy Awards.
His decades-long collaboration with Cher also put more eyes on his work. He dressed her in several iconic looks, including her 1986 Oscars “revenge” outfit, which included a towering feathered headpiece and black jewel-encrusted bralette and matching low-rise side-slit skirt, and the “naked dress” she wore to the 1974 Met Gala (made of a see-through mesh with sequins and feathers).
If you’re not already impressed, Mackie even made the original sketch for Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy birthday, Mr. President” dress when he was just 23.
“I’m very serious about knowing what the performer looks like, how they perform, how they move, how they dance, what the audience wants to see when they go to see them, whether it’s Las Vegas or Broadway,” Mackie said. “I think it’s good for the audience to be surprised and be like, ‘Oh wow, look at that.’”
“Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion” gets to the heart of several of those iconic looks by dissecting the designs with Mackie and hearing from stars Cher, Burnett, Cyrus (who donned a Mackie-designed outfit at the 2024 Grammy Awards), drag queen RuPaul, the late Mitzi Gaynor and others what it was like to actually wear those outfits.
“I’ve been really lucky, I’ve had the best clients ever,” Mackie said. “I have people that I really admire, and I admire their work ethic and talent.”
Making ‘Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion’
Filmmaker Miele was similarly inspired by glitz and glam when he was younger, but in a unique way.
While he admits he’s not a “fashion person” whatsoever, he’s always been fascinated by what happens behind the scenes. What always stood out to him were the Bergdorf Goodman holiday window displays, which he described as full of heart, whimsy and optimism that fueled his passion. One of his early films, “Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s,” is all about those displays and the people behind them.
Miele said he had a similar response when he became familiar with Mackie’s work.
“The same thing happened with me when I was watching television at home or movies where you see these iconic people come out in their outfits and the construction of the garment and what it does for the film or television show it’s part of,” Miele said. “You see these amazing things, and suddenly you see a common denominator: Bob Mackie.”
The goal of “Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion” was to give viewers a glimpse into the man behind the clothes, the director said. The documentary follows Mackie two years before the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and one year after, and shows the designer interacting with his two great-grandchildren and ex-wife LuLu Porter, attending the Met Gala and continuing his work with some of the biggest stars of today.
Miele said securing all of the celebrity interviews wasn’t too difficult because so many people wanted to praise the designer and his work. Speaking with Cher was special because “when she says, ‘I really don’t care what people think,’ you believe it. She’s put herself out there in really daring things, and Bob is a big part of that. It’s such a refreshing thing to hear.”
Gaynor was “a real highlight” as well because she is a “spitfire who you don’t see coming,” Miele said. He added that she was important to have in the film because she was Mackie’s first big star client and “really put him on the map.”
Much like many of the people he dressed, Mackie said he’s surprised himself at times with his designs. One of those moments includes seeing Cher on the cover of Time Magazine in 1975 wearing his naked dress, “looking very glamorous and very much not at all like people that are on the cover of Time Magazine.”
Honoring Mackie’s icon status
In the end, the documentary became more than just a showcase of Mackie’s work.
Miele said he wanted to pay gratitude to Mackie for his upbringing and bringing so many creative creations to life. What also really struck the director was that each of the interviewees also recognized how special and important Mackie’s work has been for pop culture and their careers.
“One of the secrets of the clothes is it does allow these people to become the stars that they became and allow us to enjoy them in that image of them over the years,” Miele said. “Without that, I don’t think Elton John is the charismatic performer he is. I don’t think Cher is as revered as she is around the world for her clothing and iconic status that she’s attained. I don’t think Carol Burnett’s show is half as what it should have been without Bob’s input on costuming.”
Mackie was quite moved to hear what many of his clients had to say about his work, especially John.
“Elton John played the piano and sang, and then all of a sudden he says in the documentary, if I hadn’t dressed up, my career would have taken on a whole other mood and look than it has now,” Mackie said. “That was very inspirational for me. Like it was fun to become somebody that’s visually interesting as well as musically.”
If you go
What: “Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion” screening at the Palm Springs International Film Festival
When/where: 12:45 p.m. Jan. 11 at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E. Baristo Road, Palm Springs
Cost: $20 (tickets on standby)
More info: www.psfilmfest.org
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.
