Sunday 24 March 2013

The Rajah of Rhinestones



Bob Mackie has led a charmed life - an outrageously camp man, he made his fortune designing outrageously camp frocks for a pantheon of divas, as well as for numerous Vegas burlesque extravaganzas, and even Carol Burnett's TV show (which was a huge hit in America but never made a dent here in the UK).

His client list reads like a roll-call of Patron Saints here at Dolores Delargo Towers: Judy Garland, Diana Ross, Liza Minnelli, Tina Turner, Shirley MacLaine, Mitzi Gaynor, Celia Cruz, Ann-Margret, Agnes Moorehead, Carol Channing, Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand, Chita Rivera, Joan Collins, and many, many more.

Of course, his most enduring - and possibly most outré - of all professional relationships is with Cher. And aren't we grateful for that?!













"If a woman is going to do an hour and a half onstage, and she’s just in a little black dress, she’d better be Judy Garland. You’re there to see her, you’re not just listening. So there needs to be something visual. At the same time, if you don’t make them look good, you’ve defeated the purpose of putting something on them. It’s all about making them look thinner and taller and fabulous. "

“We live in a jeans and T-shirt world but we all want to live in a palace ... We're not trying to attract the masses here. We're looking for a special person who's looking for something special.”

"I've been called the Sultan of Sequins, the Rajah of Rhinestones and the King of Glitz. I probably have more titles than any other designer."


Bob Mackie (born 24th March 1940)

6 comments:

  1. Happy Sunday to you Jon! Are you dreid out from the ginuzzci yet? Now I wonder what I must do for Mr Mackie to get him to design me an orginal?

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    1. I do love the gincuzzi! As for Mr Mackie - I assume just a blowjob should suffice... Jx

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  2. Just wonderful! He is one of the most amazing designers of all time - and with "models" like Cher and Miss Ross, how could you ever go wrong?

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    1. I can't wait for his next garage sale! Jx

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  3. Oh honey - you and me shall have a massive cat fight! I refuse to let anyone (except moi) get anything ever worn by Miss Ross! But then again, you knew that ;)

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    1. I'm only after the Mitzi Gaynor bugle beads... Jx

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