Few designers have choreographed glamour with the unapologetic boldness of Bob Mackie. Interchangeably referred to as the “Sultan of Sequins,” the “Rajah of Rhinestones,” and the “Guru of Glitter,” Mackie has whipped up a fantasy universe of sequins, feathers, sheer fabrics, and disruptive elegance for over seven decades. Dressing legends like Cher, Tina Turner, Diana Ross—mother of Marie Claire UK cover star, Tracee Ellis Ross—and a constellation of iconic stars whose public personas became inseparable from his dresses, Mackie has himself become an icon.
His signature, a mix of showgirl‑glamour and couture, has changed what it means for a woman to stand out. “A woman who wears my clothes is not afraid to be noticed,” Mackie once said, and at a time when women were often expected to disappear elegantly into the background, Mackie engineered outfits that refused to be overlooked.
