Bob Mackie had “little trouble” dressing celebrities

21 August 2024

Bob Mackie “hardly” ever had “problems” with celebrity clients.

Bob Mackie speaks openly about celebrity clothing

The legendary costume designer spoke openly about the years he has spent working with stars such as Cher, Carol Burnett, Barbra Streisand and RuPaul, stressing that he always took the time to get to know them properly so he could design them the perfect outfit – and almost all of them have behaved well.

He told WWD.com: “They just become part of my family. People say, 'Oh, you didn't have any trouble with any of them?' and I say, 'Not much – I really had the best people working with me. They liked what I did and I liked what they did.'

“When you dress someone, you really have to know them inside and out, especially if they're an artist. You have to know what looks good on them and how to make them look their best. It also helps to know their talents.”

Bob's career is the focus of a new documentary called “Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion” and he admitted he never thought he would get the chance to appear in a film.

He said of the project: “I never thought in my life that I would do something like this. But it was just fun and you see yourself changing over the years,” he said. “You just hope it looks good and it's entertaining and it's fun.”

Carol Burnett previously admitted that Bob worked incredibly hard during his time on her eponymous TV show – revealing that he often made up to 70 costumes a week.

She told Interview magazine: “Bob Mackie designed 65 to 70 costumes a week… In 11 years, that's about 17,000 costumes. He's incredible.”