Designer Bob Mackie, pioneer of celebrities’ ‘naked dresses,’ dies

The world of fashion is in mourning following the loss of one of the industry's most important designers in the last decade and a pioneer who dressed the most international and important celebrities in music and film.

“With great sorrow, we share the news that Mr. Bob Mackie passed away today. He fully lived his 87 years , fulfilling his dream of being a fashion and costume designer, which was all he ever wanted to do. His genius and his extraordinary designs will endure forever, and will continue to bring beauty to this world.” With this message, his official Instagram profile announced the loss of the designer, without identifying the cause of his death or providing further details about the loss.

Bob Mackie (California, 1939) arrived in Hollywood at just 22 years old when he began working as an illustrator at Paramount Studios. During this period of his life, he was the costume designer for ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ , one of the most-watched television programs of the 1960s. That was where a successful career began, one that would only continue to grow. Thanks to his time on this program, he built up a most exclusive client list: Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Dolly Parton, and Madonna.

Bob Mackie: designer of the most viral dresses

His talent led him to leave television studios for the best catwalks and the most important red carpets in the world. Among his best-known creations we find, for example, the ‘revenge dress’ that Cher wore to present an award at the Oscars ceremony in 1986. The design consisted of a very low-waisted skirt that exposed her abdomen, a tiny top that covered only her chest, and large black feathers on her head.

If we move closer to more recent fashion, another of Mackie’s iconic designs went viral when Kim Kardashian w ore it on the red carpet at the Met Gala . The significance of this design is that it is the dress in which Marilyn Monroe sang "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy in 1962.