Let’s talk about two legends who have been shaping the world of entertainment for decades: Cher and Bob Mackie. Picture this—without the genius of Bob Mackie, the iconic Cher we all know and adore might not have existed. Imagine Cher without those dazzling costumes, sequins dripping from every move, commanding the stage like no one else. "Bob changed my entire life!" Cher once exclaimed. "Without him, I would have been a peacock without feathers." And let’s face it, Cher without feathers? That’s just unimaginable.
When Cher Met Bob: The Start of a Beautiful Friendship
Back in 1967, when both were still in their 20s, Cher and Sonny Bono were guest stars on The Carol Burnett Show. Enter Bob Mackie, the man behind the curtain, designing the costumes. "In walked this beautiful girl, just five feet and six inches. She was just like a black-haired Audrey Hepburn type," Bob reminisces to Closer. He was immediately drawn to her. Cher already had a unique vibe, but she wanted more. "She wanted to do new things," Bob explains. Cher had a soft spot for sparkles, and she had her eyes set on one gown he was working on. "She said, 'One day I’m going to have a beaded gown,'" Bob laughs. Little did they know that this daydream would lead to tons of iconic beaded gowns.
Cher and Bob in 1985.
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The Cher Effect: How She Revolutionized Fashion
Cher stood out with her long, dark hair, broad shoulders, and an exotic look that was truly one-of-a-kind. "Somebody said she was like my very own Barbie doll," Bob recalls. "But Cher was different for the time." Her staying power owes a lot to the fact that "all of a sudden, every girl that had a good-sized nose and dark hair, they had somebody to idolize," Bob explains. Cher wasn't just a star; she was a trailblazer, paving the way for countless women who followed in her footsteps.
Creating Magic Together: Bob's Costume Designs
As the friendship between Cher and Bob Mackie grew, so did their collaboration. Bob crafted costumes for Cher's TV shows and later for her tours. These outfits didn’t come easy—they could take months to create. "Sometimes we had to turn things over in a week, so we would have 40 to 50 people working on them," Bob shares. And the price? "Way up in the thousands," he adds. But when you're making something for Cher, the effort is always worth it.
