Bob Mackies imaginative designs have been worn by Hollywoods most glamorous and powerful people for over six decades. A new documentary, Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion, details the extraordinary life and career of a creative genius whos become the gold standard for iridescent, daring, and show-stopping costumes. Mackies work evokes past eras, defies present-day taboos, and inspires future generations to razzle and dazzle as fiercely as possible.Born Robert Gordon Mackie on March 24, 1939, in Monterey Park, California, Mackie recalls how his love of movies inspired his career. Id see actors and say, That doesnt look great on them. Thats not giving them no favors, Mackie says. You have to really be careful what you put people in. You cant make them feel intimidated or uncomfortable as a performer. Mackie has collaborated with Cher for decades.Courtesy of Bob MackieMackie dropped out of college at 22 and started working for Hollywood creatives like Frank Thompson and designers like Jean Louis. A year into his career, Mackie drew the original sketch for the dress Marilyn Monroe wore at President John F. Kennedys 1962 birthday bash. He also worked as an assistant at Paramount Studios to designer Ray Aghayan, who later became his long-term partner.I never think of myself as being in fashion; Im a costume designer in show business, which isnt the same. A costume designer really contributes to the storytelling of a production, Mackie says, which is evidenced through his work. Carol Burnett says in the documentary that Mackie made an estimated 17,000 outfits as the sole costume designer of The Carol Burnett Show for 11 years.In the 1970s, Mackie brought fashion look reveals into the collective consciousness in his collaboration with Cher on her variety shows with her then-husband, Sonny Bono bringing the fun of fashion into peoples homes. Thats the reason I did it, you know, it gives them something, he says. You see performers look one way, and then you see them look another. Its part of the entertainment, really. Mackie was the sole costumer on 'The Carol Burnett Show' for 11 years.Courtesy of Bob MackieCher is someone who just loves to get dressed up and knows she looks good, Mackie says. He teases that the pop star never had to look in the mirror and go, Eh, I dont look so good. She always looked good.The world has reconsidered its relationship with Barbie dolls after Greta Gerwigs 2023 film, but Mackie has been expanding the dolls horizons since the 1980s. Im still grinding out a Barbie doll every now and then. Shes one of the biggest stars in our country right now and has been for many years, he says. Ive done over 60 Barbie dolls in my career as a doll designer.Mackie pushed Mattel over the years for changes to Barbies outfits and in the dolls face and hair, which led to the famous Mackie face sculpt in 1992. Why is an old man like me interested in doing Barbies? he teases. I just thought she didnt have to be a secretary, waitress, or housewife. If she could be anything, she could be the most amazing creature.While the designer is often praised for his lifes work and long-lasting collaborations with Cher, Burnett, and even Elton John, his creations are still firmly in the zeitgeist. Miley Cyrus won her first Grammy Award in 2024 and delivered an exhilarating performance of Flowers during the ceremony all in full Bob Mackie fantasy. How about that! Mackie says. I knew her as a young little girl, a disco kid. And I thought, Well, shes cute, and shes got some kind of a big old voice, which was interesting. And then I got to meet her as an adult, and I thought, Wow, they do grow up! Bernadette Peters and Bob MackieCourtesy of Bob MackieZendaya is another young star whos made headlines for wearing a Mackie original. Her stylist, Law Roach, appears in the Naked Illusion documentary and praises the designers legacy. Isnt he a number? Mackie says about Roach, adding that Zendaya is gorgeous, like a baby Cher, kind of. Shes also someone who could do it all.A regular reference point on RuPauls Drag Race, RuPaul once said, Were all born naked, and the rest is Bob Mackie. In season 13 of the drag reality competition, contestant Kahmora Hall branded herself as Chicagos Mackie Doll and discussed how his work inspired her artistry. I tell Mackie that I asked Hall to send me a question to ask him on her behalf.Oh, I know Kahmora Hall. I met her, Mackie says before I get to the question. We met at The Cher Show in Chicago. She was there in evening clothes, hair done, and everything. She was fantastic. We used to always see if there was anything for sale of my first client ever, Mitzi Gaynor. She could wear Mitzis old dresses, and theyd fit her perfectly. He adds, Every now and then Ill see a big billboard on the street, and theres Kahmora Hall on it advertising God knows what, I dont know. [Laughs] But shes always looking good. An autographed photo of Mackie and Barbra StreisandCourtesy of Bob MackieThen we get to Halls question: Was there ever a moment when you ran out of material, fabric, and/or feathers for a specific look, and you were forced to think of a plan B at the last minute?Mackie replies, Sometimes, yes. Especially when I did so much TV and everything had to be done in a day or two. It was crazy. Wed start on Monday and shoot the whole show on Friday afternoon. You always had to think about what you could do [instead] if you couldnt do [the original].How does it feel for Mackie to still be a source of inspiration for global pop stars like Cyrus, movie stars like Zendaya, and Drag Race queens like Hall? Well, its not for everybody, he responds. But those girls, they really get it. Looking ahead, Mackie explains that hes working on a possible big Vegas show based on his career. Miley Cyrus in a vintage Bob Mackie at the 2024 GrammysKevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording AcademyThat would be fun to do. Ive done a lot of huge Vegas shows in the past, but I havent done one lately, Mackie says. Its always really fun to get an audience reaction to things that I just do naturally.Mackie also shares a message with LGBTQ+ people who are navigating these turbulent times. Just be honest with yourself, he says. Do what you do best. Try to work your life so that it works for you in the best possible way. Sometimes there are ways that just arent the best; try to think about that too.Bob Mackie: Naked Illusions is streaming on Amazon Prime, Google Play, and Apple TV+. This cover story is part of Out's Sept-Oct issue, which hits newsstands August 26. Support queer media and subscribe or download the issue through Apple News, Zinio, Nook, or PressReader starting August 14.