you have no idea how important the fitting process is to him. I believe Ray and Bob met at a Costume Designers Guild meeting out in Los Angeles. Mackie: You have to do something that you love. He was really a pioneer of branding an American designer. Sure it can, but was it going to make him a success in the eyes of the American public? Were never satisfied until every inch is perfect. His freedom talking about his relationship with Ray Aghayan, for one thingnot that it ever was a secretbut I think that Bob is really proud of a beautiful life shared with someone. He loved fashion because thats where he started, but when it came to designing anything for like a housewife he had no idea; he thought they all dressed like Donna Reed in the perfect shirtmaker dress and starched apron. Mackies been at this for 58 years. They had the costume designers name there. [Once after a dinner at his home,] Bob brought out glass ice buckets and in them were all kinds of Push Pops and Dreamsicles and drumsticks. I said, No, I dont think you understand, we will do five different gowns per show and there will be no testing. And she said, Well, thats impossible. And I said, I think youre right. The next call I made was to Ray Agahayan who was working with a young man by the name of Bob Mackie, and I said, I want you to design the clothes for the Judy Garland series. And Bob washe looks to be 9 years old now, but at this point he was actually 9 years oldand so I set up a meeting with Bob Mackie and Judy Garland and violins played, I mean you could see a love affair taking place. They were sort of middle-aged ladies that loved to do little secretary suits and housewives, but when it came to doing anything slightly flamboyant, or if it was a musical, or a showgirl or something, they absolutely werent comfortable with it. Flash", "BOB MACKIE AND THE AESTHETIC OF THE FABULOUS", "In Praise of Alma Mater: Proud of their art school's legacy and impact, Chouinard alumni will celebrate the institution with reunion events", "Ray Aghayan, Costume Designer, Dies at 83", "The secrets of Marilyn Monroe's dress that Kim Kardashian wore to Met Gala 2022", "The Modern Ziegfeld: Hallelujah Hollywood! Mackie: When I was a little kid, I mean really little, like 2 or 3, I would be taken to the movies by my mother and my older sister. I said, No, I dont think you understand, we will do five different gowns per show and there will be no testing. And she said, Well, thats impossible. And I said, I think youre right. The next call I made was to Ray Agahayan who was working with a young man by the name of Bob Mackie, and I said, I want you to design the clothes for the Judy Garland series. And Bob was, he looks to be 9 years old now, but at this point he was actually 9 years old. All the things weve made for Cher over the years are all hand-embroidered, beaded, whatever. Theater The Cher Show: Bob Mackie takes us inside his designs for the new Broadway musical By Maureen Lee Lenker November 14, 2018 at 11:00 AM EST 1 of 8 The Cher Show Credit: Ron. The Slaughterhouse On this same site in 1850, a large slaughterhouse and meat-packing facility was constructed to serve northwestern Kentucky and nearby Cincinnati, Ohio. Mackie designed what may be his most famous costume, a takeoff on Scarlett O'Hara's drapery dress from Gone With the Wind for a Carol Burnett Show sketch, in 1976. She said, No ones seen me dressed up for a couple of years,because she had stopped and done a play and some moviesand I said, Okay, what would you like? Well, I want a big headdress. A headdress? Ad Choices. His designs have been worn by Tina, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Sarah-Jessica Parker, and Kylie Minogue among many others. Be. There were characters (usually on the gay side), and they had the best, the funniest lines. I look at it and I say, I didnt make that. He was raised in early childhood by his maternal grandparents in Alhambra, California because his parents divorced. [25][26][27][5][28], Beginning in 1963, Mackie's significant other was costume designer Ray Aghayan, whom Mackie worked with as an assistant. $49.99. Mackie has received 1 honorary award and 9 competitive awards from 32 nominations. He really was the first to do those sexy red carpet dresses, and everybody who is designing clothes for the red carpet really owes him a debt of gratitude. Small Business. In June, hell receive the CFDAs Lifetime Achievement Award (his second from the organization; the first was a plaudit for his fashion exuberance in 2001) and possibly, May was no calmer, with new getups to make for. I was just lucky; I mean I really never changed in what I. I can honestly say that he appreciates it when people appreciate what he does, but it has always been about the work. [Marilyn] was a goddess. The producers didnt know what to do with Cher, and I said, She could be anything! Last night's look was a collaboration between Zendaya and her longtime stylist, Law Roach, who paired . His interest lies less in what a character wears than in why. More specifically, the following rug size options are picked most frequently for bob mackie area rugs: 5' x 8' (92% of customers), 10' x 14' (6% of customers), and 7' x 9' (3% of customers) Visitors also filter for color . He was offered movieshe was offered The Great Gatsby. What that means is when he shows me a sketch, hes already got ideas of how the piece is actually going to be constructed in three dimensions; he really understands and is interested in how [a piece] is going to go together, and he sees how that plays into making it look the way he wants it to look. . And my mother would explain and before I knew it, I was really interested. McFate: Everyone thinks, Oh, you just dash things off for the stage, but we like things beautifully made. Her words were something to this effect, I can stand in a Mackie and kick my leg up over my head and bring it back down and the bodice never moves. Bob understands movement and how a garment needs to sit on a womans body. Mallis: Bob does glamorous clothing. For publicity shots of Tina Turner by Paul Cox click here. and the fact that each one of those costumes had to be built so the [actors] could get in and out of them in under a minute and still look stylish . Bob Mackie? harvey specter pen . I think thats how Bob looks at things, that if you just stand something on its head, its not so shocking anymore. Well, Bob came up with that, [too]. ], he was offered a lot of other [jobs]. Carol Burnett, actress: The show was going to go on in September of 1967 and my husband and I had seen a Mitzi Gaynor special . And then all these people, the Kim Kardashians of the world, start copying her. I went into the costume and Bob said, You know, weve been doing a lot of old ladies lately, lets make her different. So he turned her into this bimbo with the blond wig, and the push-up bra, and the real tight black skirt, and the high heels stilettos. (Later, I donated the dress, and it was auctioned to help buy solar panels for a hospital in Burundi, which is now entirely energy independent.). More Today Than Yesterday: The Greatest Hits Tour, "Showgirls" collection from UNLV Libraries Digital Collections, Tony Award for Best Costume Design in a Musical, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, "Bob Mackie Is Selling a Share of His Excess", "THEATER; Beads. Bob Mackies work has influenced fashion in a dramatic way, in that many of the body-fitting, seemingly transparent, and heavily beaded gowns that are worn on red carpets today are derivative of his work for stars like Diana Ross and Cher. Rose Hartman // Getty Images. For me it is like having met a guru. It was always work that saved him. Gregg Barnes, costume designer: The curtain dress is so, so iconic, I think they should put it in a box of all the most famous things from the 20th century. In a ceremony held on September 19 at the Tina Turner Museum at Flagg Grove School in Brownsville, TN, officials from Tennessee State joined Tina Turners longtime friend and Executive Personal Assistant Rhonda Graam and Tina Turner Museum Executive Director Sonia Outlaw-Clark, to debut the ensemble which was personally selected by the Tennessee native and international music icon. This kid and I who are traveling cross-country, we stop at the fictional Bob Mackie Museum in Mt. Today, the Tennessee State Museum is housed in the James K. Polk building in downtown Nashville, where it has been for nearly 35 years. Gov. By the way, thats a character she plays. It was full of artists and artisans at the top of their game. He seems more like a friend. Ill find out what works and what doesnt.. Bob Mackie is an internationally renowned costume and fashion designer who has dressed some of the most glamorous entertainment icons in the world. RED CARPET FOLLIES Mackie doesnt scare meyou know I can handle a little bit of extra fabric. was the cinema, and its there that Mackie, Mr. The 82-year-old costume designer, who sketched the late actress' "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" dress, gave a critical review of . I stopped and looked to see if I could find out: Well, how did this happen? He finds so much joy; he literally loves working and he loves the process of working. May was no calmer, with new getups to make for Chers Here We Go Again tour, his inclusion in the Camp exhibition at the Met, and the announcement of a biographical documentary. RuPaul: I cant say enough good things about Bob Mackie. Mackie has a golden roster of clients, but its his work for Carol Burnett and Cher that is best known. I mean line for line, bead for bead. Juliet, Tennessee, and in that episode I get to pull out some . Its essential. Women who wear Mackie dare to be noticed, and many of the entertainment industries biggest and brightest stars are still clamoring to be dressed by him. [35], The Tony Awards are presented annually by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League. Hes very down-to-earth. Bobs response was, Well, if we stand her on her head, it will just be cleavage. Its something he actually said, and we put it in the show and it gets a roar every night. When his son, Robin, was very ill and passed, thank God, he had a project to help him through that time, to distract him from the great grief. Hes very down-to-earth. The recipient of CFDA's 2019 Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award views fashion illustration as integral to the design process. His work was not [about] business; it was the emphatic work of an artist for other artists. I havent even heard that word in 40 years. And it was fine with me; it was fun! Costume designers have long been overlooked for the importance of their work in creating and influencing mainstream contemporary fashion. Most recently, he received a 2019 Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award for his work on The Cher Show. Id seen all these pictures of Sonny and Cher, The worlds first hippies. They were kind of like New Age cave people; there they were in their fur vests and funny pants and belts and just a whole look that nobody had had up until that time. I want to wear an outfit. I look at it this way: Bob had succeeded before he came to Seventh Avenue. Discover more about the small businesses partnering with Amazon and Amazon . Movies are a treasure trove of camp. She doesnt look like all the blonde girls with the beehive hairdos and the flips that are out here now. The images of his costumes and gowns for these women have become a part of the landscape of fashion from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, and in my case, become part of my hard drive of references. I was thrilled when I had the chance to see the clothes he did for Elton [John, which were referenced in Micheles Spring 2018 Gucci collection.] You cant ignore his presence and his success even if hes not your cup of tea. And I said, Bob, youre going to have to take it in back there, because Im flat, and he said, No, no stick your behind into it. And I did and that gave me that look, where it looked like she had a big rear end and that funny walk; that gave me her character. I suspect it was Ray Aghayan. Bob Mackie Design Group, 230 Park Avenue, Suite 908, New York, New York 10169. His freedom talking about his relationship with Ray Aghayan, for one thing. SPONSORED. After seeing Gaynor's Las Vegas show, Carol Burnett and TV producer, Joe Hamilton hired him to design the entire wardrobe for the first Carol Burnett Show,where he remained the show's costume designer for it's eleven year run on air. RuPaul: When I got famous, the first phone call I made was to Bob Mackie, because I grew up watching The Carol Burnett Show and The Sonny and Cher show and I knew that the mark of a superstar was to have Bob Mackie costumes. McFate: Im not sure exactly who talked Bob into doing Seventh Avenue. He was such a busy guy, but he gave me well over an hour of his time, and treated me like a colleague. The producers didnt know what to do with Cher, and I said, She could be anything! So he designed the costumes for my first Las Vegas [revue]. Bob does glamorous clothing. Expressive sketches of muses like Diana Ross, Farah Fawcett, and, of course, Cher showcase how some of . To date, more than 604 million unique media impressions have been acquired on the museum. Irene Sharaff became my favorite, my idol. People would die. The American Choreography Awards honored outstanding choreographers in the fields of feature film, television, music videos, and commercials. When you realize how many costumes Bob did each week for. It was truly love at first sight. Search instead in Creative? . Shalom Harlow, model: You cant be a shy wallflower in a Mackie; youve got to be ready to stand out. The famed designer . The West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center is located along the Americana Music Triangle, the worlds #1 music destination a preservation project along a 1,500-mile stretch of highway that birthed nine uniquely American genres of music. Robert Mackie, a makeup artist, died in 1993 at the age of 33 of an AIDS-related illness, predeceasing his parents. Bob Mackie is one of the most influential and inspiring of all American designers. This is beautiful. We didnt know what hippies were quite yet. Mackie has received 1 honorary award. A bias label is present that reads . down-to-earth is such an overused expression but I guess he kind of is. He loved fashion because thats where he started, but when it came to designing anything for like a housewife he had no idea; he thought they all dressed like Donna Reed in the perfect shirtmaker dress and starched apron. simplicity misses dresses; cathedral in the desert canyoneering; Select Page She was working for Ice Capades and that wasnt her style at all; she was used to making clothes for Dietrich or Rita Hayworth (she did the famous, dress). I thought, Wow! Lets shock people. And there are times where I think she wanted to be more demure and Bob would convince her to be a little riskier, to take a little bit bigger of a swing at something. They loved musicals and Technicolor and all that sort of thing, so I sat there and watched and watched and watched. The exhibit, which is free for all visitors, is located adjacent to the WTDHC at 121 Sunny Hill Cove, Brownsville, TN 38012. Why has she got all the diamonds onor whatever? I just had all these [questions] I couldnt figure out, because my family didnt look like they looked in the movies. Everything a love of Tina Turners music and pop culture legacy, a love of historic preservation, a love of local communities and most of all a love for honoring the memories of those that traversed through the doors of Flagg Grove School. In 1999, the Museum at The Fashion Institute of Technology ("FIT") honored Mackie's enormous contribution to fashion and costume design with the retrospective Unmistakably Mackie,now hailed as one of the most highly attended exhibitions in New York City history. He was just playing in a new sandbox. Its too bad that people have sort of put him in the costume realm because it really is high art, actually. After his parents divorced, the 6-year-old Made. And so thats kind of how it started. Bob Mackie IWC Food Service Address 535 Dry Valley Road Cookeville, TN 38506 931-537-4000 For Mackie, this was a marriage made in heaven with dance, glamour, and comedy all in one package. Bob Mackie 108 Gucci 3,181 Chanel 2,944 Dolce & Gabbana 2,470 Christian Louboutin 1,768 Search Designers Clear Gender Women's 101 Unisex 5 Place of Origin North America 79 United States 78 Asia 4 China 4 East Asia 4 Search Places Display Measurements Exclude Sold Returnable Items Only Recognized Seller Listings Top Seller Listings Save Creator Its an extraordinary piece of fashion history. Jean Louis was Mr. Glamour. A blog about popular culture, Canadian politics and growing up in Manitoba and Alberta; Star Trek, Superman, science fiction, fantasy, classic film. Seventh Avenue line for line, bead for bead than 604 million unique media impressions have been worn Tina... Is like having met a guru York, New York, New York 10169 Bob at... 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