Legendary costume and fashion designer Bob Mackie has died at 87. His death was announced by his team in an Instagram post on Sept. 14.
Mackie dressed iconic stars including Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Carol Burnett, Diana Ross and Liza Minnelli. Among Mackie's prominent clientele was fashion icon Dolly Parton.
Mackie's death was announced just three weeks after Parton's death on Aug. 25.
Parton was known for her audacious fashion, from huge blonde wigs to long red nails. Her look was unmistakable, and Mackie was one of the designers that helped propel her signature style.
What did Bob Mackie design for Dolly Parton?
Mackie's Instagram gave fans a glimpse into Parton's extensive wardrobe. The original sketch of a black-and-gold, butterfly-themed evening gown with bell sleeves mimicking
a monarch butterfly's wings was worn by Parton in 1979 and shared on Instagram by Mackie. Parton wore the dress in concert for years after its debut, according to Mackie's post.
The butterfly dress was designed for Burnett and Parton's TV special, "Dolly and Carol in Nashville," at the Grand Ole Opry House on Jan. 10, 1979. And it wasn't the only outfit Mackie designed for Parton to wear that night.
Mackie designed a red, lace, trumpet-style gown for Parton to wear during the TV special, according to the Dolly Archive. The red dress had silver butterfly motifs on the skirt. Mackie's designs for the night appeared to pay homage to Parton's love for butterflies, evident in her song "Love is Like a Butterfly" and the Dollywood logo.
Mackie shared more sketches of designs he drew for Parton when paying tribute to the "Queen of Country" after her death.
"Dolly was a lovely soul and spirit who was fair to everyone. She was a joy and pleasure to dress," Mackie wrote.
Another one of Mackie's designs for Parton was shared by Oprah Winfrey in the wake of Parton's death.
A photo posted to Winfrey's Instagram shows her and Parton in 1987 wearing evening gowns designed by Mackie while appearing on Parton's variety show, "Dolly."
Winfrey said her favorite memory with Parton was "having a hoot and a holler while wearing Bob Mackie gowns on her show 'Dolly.'"
Bob Mackie had been dressing stars since 1966
Born in Southern California in 1939, Mackie began designing costumes for film in 1961. In 1966, Mitzi Gaynor enlisted Mackie to be her costume designer for her Las Vegas Review and upcoming TV specials. Mackie caught the attention of Burnett while she attended one of Gaynor's shows and hired him to design all the costumes for "The Carol Burnett Show."
Mackie's career continued to grow. Some of his most well-known designs were worn by Cher on both her TV show and in concert.
Withstanding the test of time, singers have continued to wear Mackie designs.
During the 2024 Grammy Awards, Miley Cyrus performed her song "Flowers" and took home her first Grammy wearing a silver Mackie design from his 2002 "To Broadway with Love" collection.
In May 2026, during the Met Gala, Sabrina Carpenter performed alongside Stevie Nicks and wore abeaded, gold, off-the-shoulder Mackie dress originally designed for Gaynor's 1985 tour.
Afton Pratt covers trending and breaking news for Knox News and Tennessee. She can be reached at ampratt@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Bob Mackie helped shape Dolly Parton's iconic look. He has died at 87
