We need a stronger word than "fabulous" to describe the legacy of costume designer Bob Mackie, whose creations and career are celebrated in Matthew Miele's documentary "Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion," now available to rent or buy on Prime and YouTube (Quixotic Endeavors).
You may know Mackie as the man who transformed Cher from singer into fashion icon, or who designed every splashy, witty costume over 11 years of "The Carol Burnett Show," but the film celebrates his sheer body of work (and body of sheer work) over more than 60 years.
Mackie had a hand in creating the looks of nearly every gay icon of the 20th Century, including Cher, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, Elton John, Tina Turner, and even Judy Garland. Still going strong at age 84, he's created dazzling designs for today's divas including RuPaul, Pink, and Miley Cyrus.
Over the past few years, Mackie's been showered with Lifetime Achievement Awards. In 2019 alone, he was dubbed The King of Camp at the Met Gala, and he won the Tony Award for Best Costume Design of a Musical for "The Cher Show." In 2021, "The Art of Bob Mackie" hit bookstores and coffee tables.
The film adds glowing appreciation to this recent avalanche of accolades, with interviews from Elton John, Carol Burnett, Vicki Lawrence, Bernadette Peters, RuPaul, Pink, Miley Cyrus, Mitzi Gaynor, and of course - Cher.
Fashion designers Tom Ford and Zac Posen explore Mackie's impact on the world of fashion, which initially dismissed him as a mere costume designer. Today his influence is seen in top designers' splashy, revealing looks that parade across every red carpet.
The naked dress
The late Mitzi Gaynor recalls how Mackie designed his first "naked dress," a nude-colored gown adorned with rhinestones and bugle beads, for her to wear in a 1969 TV special. It may have been his first naked dress, but it wouldn't be his last.
Cher says that her life changed when she met Mackie at age 19, and they became a creatively provocative team, constantly pushing each other's limits. When she asked him to design something for her to wear at the first Met Gala in 1974, he created an even more revealing naked dress. It landed her on the cover of Time magazine.
One surprising revelation of the film is that Mackie's history with naked dresses preceded the one he made for Gaynor. His first job out of school, at age 21, was creating design sketches for designer Jean Louis. In 1962 he created the sketch for Marilyn Monroe's nude illusion dress, which she wore while singing "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" to John F. Kennedy. One of the most famous gowns in U.S. history, it sold at auction for $4.8 million.
Pop goes the fashion
The popularity of TV musical variety shows in the 1960s and '70s had a huge impact on Mackie's development. At age 23, he was hired as Assistant Costume Designer (to Ray Aghayan) on "The Judy Garland Show," and hung out with the star at her home as they watched the show together on Sunday nights.
One sometimes wishes that the film followed a chronological order, which would have made the trajectory of Mackie's career clearer.
When Gaynor asked Aghayan to design her specials, he was too busy with Garland, so he recommended Mackie. Wowed by his work with Gaynor, Carol Burnett hired him for her new show. Burnett claims that in 287 episodes of "The Carol Burnett Show" over 11 years, Mackie designed 17,000 costumes.
Cher-ing
With Burnett, Mackie honed his sense of visual humor. His designs helped her create some of her most memorable characters, including the famous Scarlett O'Hara curtain dress. It was his idea to include the curtain rod. "It was the greatest sight gag in the history of television," says Burnett. It's now a Barbie doll, and on display in the Smithsonian.
Four years later came "The Sonny and Cher Show," and the rest is history.
When Elton John asked, "Could you make me some outfits like you do for Cher?" Mackie created the Rocketman's famously outrageous signature looks. "Without dressing up and having fun, I would never have been the artist I became," says John.
This film merely hints that Mackie and Aghayan were both professional and life partners, omitting their Oscar nominations for dressing Diana Ross in "Lady Sings the Blues" and Barbra Streisand in "Funny Lady."
Details of Mackie's personal life include his early marriage to actress, singer and dancer LuLu Porter, the still-painful death of their son Robin, and the late-in-life discovery of their granddaughter and great-grandchildren, all of whom appear.
Shining throughout the film is Mackie's warm, calm, genial personality, which is not what you might expect from a man who creates divas.
'Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion,' now available to rent or buy on Prime and YouTube.
www.quixoticendeavors.com
www.instagram.com/bobmackie
Never miss a story! Keep up to date on the latest news, arts, politics, entertainment, and nightlife.
Sign up for the Bay Area Reporter's free weekday email newsletter. You'll receive our newsletters and special offers from our community partners.
Support California's largest LGBTQ newsroom. Your one-time, monthly, or annual contribution advocates for LGBTQ communities. Amplify a trusted voice providing news, information, and cultural coverage to all members of our community, regardless of their ability to pay -- Donate today!