By any measure, Bob Mackie is fashion’s ultimate showman — the man behind some of the most unforgettable looks in television, film, and pop culture history. Now, the Palm Springs Art Museum celebrates the legendary designer with a new exhibition, Reflections of Glamour: Bob Mackie, honoring his lifetime contributions to the art of costume and design.
The exhibition presents a rare and intimate look at Mackie’s creative process through a selection of his original sketches created between the 1970s and the 2000s. Rendered in watercolor, marker, ink, and seriograph, the works reveal Mackie not only as a master of spectacle, but as a highly skilled visual artist whose drawings are as expressive and dramatic as the costumes they inspired.
At the heart of the exhibition is a special group of costume sketches designed for two of Mackie’s most iconic collaborators: Carol Burnett and Cher. For fans of television’s golden age, the Burnett sketches evoke an era when comedy, music, and fashion merged into weekly cultural events. Mackie served as the principal costume designer for The Carol Burnett Show throughout its eleven-year run, creating thousands of costumes that were integral to the show’s humor and theatricality. From lavish period gowns to outrageous parody outfits, his designs were often punchlines in themselves — visual comedy executed with couture-level craftsmanship.
Equally legendary is Mackie’s creative partnership with Cher, which helped define the singer’s image for generations. His daring, body-skimming, and often barely-there designs for her television specials and world tours transformed Cher into a global fashion icon. Those looks — feathered headdresses, crystal-studded bodysuits, and sheer illusion gowns — were not merely costumes, but statements that pushed the boundaries of what stage fashion could be. Mackie’s work for Cher earned him Emmy Awards for Cher: Live in Concert from Las Vegas (1991) and Cher: The Farewell Tour (2003), cementing their place as one of the most influential designer–performer collaborations in entertainment history.
Though rooted in Hollywood glamour, Mackie’s influence continues to resonate with contemporary pop culture. In recent years, he has dressed a new generation of stars, including Pink, Miley Cyrus, and Sabrina Carpenter, proving that his signature blend of fantasy, sex appeal, and theatrical flair remains as relevant as ever.
His accolades are as dazzling as his designs. In 2019, Mackie received the Tony Award for Best Costume Design of a Musical for The Cher Show, a fitting full-circle moment celebrating his work with one of his greatest muses. Over a career spanning more than five decades, he has earned nine Emmy Awards, three Academy Award nominations, and induction into the Television Academy Hall of Fame — honors that reflect not just popularity, but an extraordinary impact on the visual language of entertainment.
Reflections of Glamour offers more than nostalgia; it is a reminder that costume design is an art form in its own right. Through Mackie’s sketches, visitors witness the birth of iconic images — moments where pencil and paint evolve into sequins, feathers, and fantasy. For Palm Springs, a city long associated with Hollywood history and midcentury style, the exhibition feels especially at home: a celebration of glamour, creativity, and the enduring power of spectacle.
In a world increasingly dominated by digital imagery and fast fashion, Bob Mackie’s work stands as a testament to imagination, craftsmanship, and the magic of dressing dreams. At the Palm Springs Art Museum, those dreams shimmer once again, inviting audiences to step into a world where fashion is fearless, fabulous, and forever larger than life.
The exhibition runs from Janurary 26 – March 30 2026 for more information visit www.psmuseum.org/art
