Bob Mackie Talks Cher, Barbie and New Documentary ‘Bare Phantasm’

Whereas hundreds of weekenders and vacationers flood the Hamptons every summer time, Bob Mackie will probably be making a visitor look there for the primary time in a long time.

The California-based costume and designer will probably be winging it to the East Finish for a screening of the documentary “Bob Mackie: Bare Phantasm,” and a dialogue with Derek Blasberg on Aug. 17 at Guild Corridor in East Hampton. The event will probably be Mackie’s first East Finish go to because the ’80s. On Aug. 21, he would be the visitor of honor at one other screening and discuss in Provincetown, Mass., and a 3rd occasion is scheduled for Dec. 4 at 92NY.

Filmgoers will catch glimpses of Cher, Pink, RuPaul, Carol Burnett, Miley Cyrus, Mitzi Gaynor and Bernadette Peters within the Matthew Miele-directed flick. A few of these bold-faced names turned out for the Hollywood premiere this yr. Catching the screening with a few of his nearest and dearest was a tad unusual, Mackie mentioned. “I by no means thought in 1,000,000 years that I’d be doing a kind of. But it surely was simply enjoyable to do, and to look at your self change over time,” he mentioned. “You’re simply hoping that it’s going to look good, be entertaining and look enjoyable.”

The documentary additionally provides clips of the numerous reveals, movies, musicals and live performance excursions that the nine-time Emmy and three-time Oscar nominee has executed, together with “The Carol Burnett Present,” “The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour,” and Bernadette Peters Broadway efficiency in “On The City.”

Over-the-top is a specialty for Mackie, as seen in Cher’s midriff-baring all-black ultra-sheer Oscars look with a coordinating feathered headdress. “I’ve dressed so many individuals in so many reveals and films. I don’t know what occurred to all these years. They simply disappeared into reminiscence,” Mackie mentioned with fun.

After eleven-plus years of designing for Burnett’s present, and numerous specials and different occasions, in addition to a number of ones with different VIPs like Cher, Mackie mentioned, “They simply turn into a part of my household. Individuals say, ‘Oh, nicely, didn’t you have got hassle with any of them?’ and I say, ‘Hardly any — I actually had the very best folks working with me. They appreciated what I did and I cherished what they did. Once you gown any person, you’ve actually obtained to know them inside and outside particularly in the event that they’re performers. You must know what’s good for them and the right way to make them look the very best. Additionally, having a information of their skills helps.”

The identical is perhaps mentioned of his ability set executing ultra-glam creations from sketch to stage. He’s additionally obtained a 2019 Tony award, a Drama Desk award and Outer Critics Circle Award for his work on “The Cher Present.”

Mackie acknowledged her endurance and recognition, and mentioned many individuals used to tune into her TV present simply to see what she was going to put on and say. An inductee of the Tv Academy Corridor of Fame, he described Burnett as “wildly proficient, humorous and good.

“I by no means needed to be a designer. I simply needed to be a dressing up designer,“ he siad.

“After doing about 20 years of fixed tv, films, stage reveals and different costume design, I obtained a proposal to go to New York and do it for some time. And than I got here again to L.A. and began doing extra theatrical issues once more. I get pleasure from doing each. However creating and dressing a personality for a play, and making the viewers perceive who that’s they’re watching and the place they got here from simply by the way in which they appear, is a lot enjoyable,” he mentioned.

Now 85, he’s by no means stopped working since 1961. After three years of attending the Chouinard Artwork Institute on scholarship, he was keen to start out his profession, so he dropped out. Along with his portfolio in hand, he landed work that very same week. Edith Head and Jean Louis had been two of his early employers. And leisure assignments proceed to at the present time. “My power is fairly good. I’m so much older. There are days that aren’t as straightforward as they was. I used to like working lengthy, lengthy hours. It in all probability saved me from numerous different stuff. However I did get pleasure from it. You grew to become a part of the household,” he mentioned.

Having executed main Vegas reveals for big-name expertise in addition to concert events, Mackie is crafting a Las Vegas present that may embody a compilation of the numerous reveals he’s had a hand in. He’s additionally dreaming up just a few new particular Barbie dolls for Mattel, which first recruited him for namesake dolls in 1982. Mackie mentioned, “I assumed, ‘Why not?’ I don’t do the Barbies which might be housewives or secretaries or airline stewardesses. I do those which might be glamour women.”

Though Mackie is not dialed into rising style expertise, as he as soon as was, he has observed the resurgence of age-old seems to be and particulars that younger designers have mined from the Web. “There are seems to be from the ’60s and even the ’50s. You suppose, ‘Wait a minute. Didn’t we already stay by means of that already?’”

However, he’s all the time onto the following project. He defined, “I actually like what I do and I get pleasure from doing it. It by no means occurred to me to not.”