Bob Mackie Puts Cher and Tina Turner Designs Up for Auction—Look Inside His Legendary Collection (EXCLUSIVE)
We spoke with the iconic designer ahead of his dazzling costume auction—and his stories are unforgettable
Bob Mackie, the designer behind iconic singer Cher’s most memorable looks, has been a fashion icon for decades, and to look at his sparkling, sumptuous creations is to be transported into a nostalgic world filled with decadent glamour and sassy humor.
The fashion designer and costumier, who also worked with Tina Turner, Carol Burnett, Diana Ross, Madonna, Elton John and many more, remains as charming and dedicated to his craft as ever in his 80s, and he’s recently been back in the spotlight in a big way, with young stars like Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Sabrina Carpenter and Zendaya stepping out in stunning ensembles from his archive.
A variety of Mackie’s dresses and fashion sketches will be going up for auction by Julien’s online and in-person at the Peninsula Beverly Hills on December 3. In advance of the sale, Woman’s World visited an auction preview at New York’s historic Carlyle Hotel and spoke to the designer about his definition of glamour and the magic of Tina Turner.
How Bob Mackie defines glamour
Bob Mackie’s name is synonymous with glamour, and his long collaboration with Cher, starting with The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour in the early ’70s, helped make the singer and actress into a legendary diva. Asked how he defines glamour, Mackie responds, “Glamour is having a good time getting dressed up and enjoying yourself, and looking a certain way or a way that you’ve been wanting to look. You don’t want to look foolish, but at the same time, you want to have fun”—and this joyful energy certainly came through in his work with Cher and other bold women.
“Glamour is having a good time getting dressed up and enjoying yourself”
With the designer’s costumes being available for auction, people now have a rare opportunity to potentially add some Mackie magic to their own wardrobes. While certain Mackie designs may seem intimidatingly over-the-top, he urges women to channel glamour in a way that works. “You’ve got to be honest with yourself,” he says, pointing out the importance of choosing colors and silhouettes that you feel confident in. “It can be a little tricky, but you should use fashion in a fun way, rather than fight against it.”
Dishing on designs for Cher and Tina Turner
As Mackie walks Woman’s World through a room filled with stage outfits that shine just as brightly as they did 50 years ago, he notes, “These were packed up in lovely airtight boxes and went up on the shelf. Years later, we discovered them again, and I know exactly who they were for and how they looked.”
“They’re just regular clothes,” Mackie quips. As he points to a 1978 disco dress he created for Cher, he observes, “I used these big teardrop-shaped sequins and when she started to move and flip around and twirl, it was magic.”
The magic of Tina Turner’s winged 1977 bodysuit
One of the most special pieces in the auction is a metallic winged bodysuit worn by the late, great Tina Turner in 1977. “The way it moves and shines is fabulous,” says Mackie. “When I was designing it, I thought, ‘Well, wouldn’t that be fun if we did a couple of nice butterfly wings attached to the back where she could suddenly open it up and be full-out?’ Tina understood going full-out in a look more than anybody else.” He continues, “How could you ever get enough applause when you wear that? It’s just amazing, and nobody wore it better. She felt like she was flying for the first time in her life.” “There are a lot of people that couldn’t even think about wearing something like that, but Tina was made to wear it,” he says. “I miss her so much. She had such an amazing personality.”
“When you’re dressing over-the-top, you have to be careful, because you don’t want people to go ‘What was she thinking?’” Mackie laughs, “But if you want to be fabulous, there’s nothing wrong with that”—and whether or not we buy clothes designed for the likes of Cher and Tina Turner, the captivating stage presence these women brought to their Bob Mackie looks remains an eternal source of inspiration.
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