Cher arrives at the Metropolitan Museum in 1985 wearing a Bob Mackie outfit, escorted by the designer.
American designer Bob Mackie made his mark dressing stars such as Carol Burnett and Judy Garland, but none as memorably as his friend and longtime partner-in-fashion-crime Cher. Beginning with The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour in 1971 and through the singer’s most recent Vegas residency at Caesar’s Palace which ended in 2011, Mackie has created outrageous, showstopping looks for Cher. The costume designer’s fluency with sparkles, rhinestones, beads and bling made him a perfect match for a larger-than-life personality like Cher, who wasn’t afraid to take sartorial risks—perhaps most famously with her outfit for the 1986 Oscars, replete with a loincloth and towering feathered headdress. Mackie later became known for designing outfits for collector’s edition Barbies, but in Cher he had a real-life doll to craft fashion fantasies for.