Evening dress
Bob Mackie · 1980s
Bob Mackie
- Performance costume
- Embellished eveningwear
Bob Mackie’s costume and fashion work has connected Hollywood, television and celebrity dressing. The Smithsonian describes the elaborate, often sparkling designs he created for performers and the visual exuberance for which he became known.
Official website
Five looks to know
Collection selection
Evening dress
1980s
Pale fabric gathers at the front and falls into a long, light skirt. Dense hanging embellishment frames the off-the-shoulder neckline, contrasting a sparkling upper edge with the softly draped body. The museum identifies silk as the material.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Collection selection
Evening dress
1983 · The Met collection
Silk, beads, rhinestones.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Collection selection
Evening dress
1972 · The Met collection
[no medium available].
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Landmark design
Lady Sings the Blues costume
1972
Diana Ross wore this teal dress as Billie Holiday in the 1972 film. The Smithsonian credits the costume jointly to Bob Mackie, Ray Aghayan and Norma Koch.
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Landmark design
Cher’s Academy Awards ensemble
1986
Cher’s beaded black ensemble and towering feather headdress became one of Mackie’s defining red-carpet creations.
Julian Wasser / Liaison, via Bob MackieArchive pieces, grouped by date
1 piece1980s
1 piece · Season not recorded
About Bob Mackie
The evening dress shown here uses hanging ornament around the neckline to frame a softer, draped silk silhouette.