Dates of Operation:

For celebrity costume/fashion design 1961 – present

For QVC fashions and jewelry early 1990s – at least 2022

Brief History: Bob Mackie is a well-known and respected costume designer responsible, in his long career, for creating costumes for many famous stars of stage, film, and television.

In 1961 young Bob Mackie worked as an apprentice costume designer for Paramount Studios. Soon he was creating custom designs for many famous clients like Diana Ross, Cher, Carol Burnett, Jane Fonda, and Whitney Houston.

In the 1990s Mackie’s distinctive brand continued to expand into other mediums including designs for Barbie dolls, jewelry designs, fragrance, luggage, and home furnishings.

At this time, he developed a ready-to-wear line called ” The Wearable Art Collection” sold on QVC.

Bob Mackie’s early fashion designs for QVC were often made of silk with elaborate embroidery and, of course, plenty of “bling”.

(Some information from The Art of Bob Mackie by Frank Vlastnik & Laura Ross).

The jewelry designs for QVC, especially the pins, were high-quality, tiny works of art.

Passion: Bob Mackie creates “theater” in everything he designs.

In the book The Art of Bob Mackie by Frank Vlastnik & Laura Ross, Mackie describes his early love of theater.

Radio was my biggest influence,” he explained. “I could visualize the mysteries I listened to, but I also loved movies, especially musicals and adventures. Showgirls, pirates, Arabian Knights…I wanted so badly to live in a Technicolor world. I used to make stage sets on the top of my dresser and set flashlights, and then put a 45 record on. I’d say, ‘One day I’ll get to do this!’…

Vlastnik, Frank & Laura Ross. The Art of Bob Mackie. New York, NY. Simon & Schuster, 2021. P. 2.

Distinctive Design: “Dare to be Noticed” is the slogan featured on Bob Mackie’s website www.bobmackie.com. Mackie believes that designs should have a “look”, “be noticed” and, very importantly, work with the body shape and personality of the client.

Brand Trait: Bob Mackie designs “fit” and “enhance” his client’s individual needs.

The jewelry Mackie presented on QVC in the 1990s had personality. If he created a reindeer pin, it was not a copy of a natural reindeer with a few decorative rhinestones. Mackie created a “look”, a costume, for his “reindeer client” that suited the individual reindeer’s personality. His jewelry designs were different than the other costume jewelry designs at the time – distinctively Bob Mackie.

Bob Mackie dressed Rudolph in a costume fit for such a famous reindeer. Lines of gold tone metal gracefully draw the “eye” down Rudolph’s neck enhancing the natural curvature. Rudolph’s antlers are decorated with enameled stars that move when he flies.

Brand Trait: Bob Mackie’s designs are joyful, happy, and fun.

Mackie’s reindeer has rosy cheeks, probably due to the cold weather, and a happy, youthful smile. His famous red nose is decorated with tiny sparkles.

This view shows the wonderful, textured lines visible through the resin enamel. Each gold tone outline is carefully wiped clean of the enamel. This design has green, red, white, black, and brown enameling – all carefully and neatly applied.

Brand Trait: Mackie’s designs are distinctive, imaginative, and most importantly original. Mackie does not copy ideas from famous jewelry brands. His designs are art and reflect his aesthetic.

Signatures:

The earliest Bob Mackie jewelry designs are signed with his script signature and the copyright symbol. Later designs include CHINA with the signature.

Innovative: Mackie jewelry designs are often innovative. Sometimes he brings life to the individual characters by adding moveable elements. If he makes a dancing character, the knees bend. If he makes an angel, the wings flutter. These moveable elements are a brand trait for Mackie designs.

Measuring 2 1/4″ this rare Bob Mackie dancing bear pin is one of his earlier designs. He is certainly a happy bear doing what he loves. His leg is attached by a rivet, so he is able to kick while dancing. His costume is complete with rhinestone studded pants, spats on his shoes, a bow tie, and cheerful red vest. If he were on stage, there is no question that the audience would notice him!

Mackie created a series of angel pins. On subsequent visits to QVC a “new” angel was offered, so customers began to collect Bob Mackie angel pins. In keeping with the Mackie philosophy of matching the costume design to the needs and personality of the client, each angel “client” has a unique, personality and coordinating costume. In addition, they are upbeat and fun.

This 2 1/2″ angel pin is a wonderful example of Mackie’s design talents. She has moveable wings and a halo, but she is also a sophisticated, well-dressed angel complete with hat, gloves, jewelry, a bag, and a happy dog. She is ready to shop. The enameling is beautifully done. Her suit jacket is a style match for her well-balanced asymmetrical hat. The halo is perfectly placed on her head. Even the happy dog’s pink tongue coordinates with the outfit.

One of the most popular and one of the most beautiful Mackie angel pins is this 3″ mosaic angel. It is also one of the most plentiful Mackie designs in the secondary market. Squares, triangles, circles, and diamond shapes are carefully filled with resin enamel to create her image. She has a happy smile, with Mackie-style “rosy” cheeks and open, welcoming wings. She is posed on her toes as if she is about to soar into the heavens. Curving lines accentuate the shape of her wings.

The color scheme includes white, beige, turquoise, amethyst, coral, yellow and brown enamel with gold tone trim. These are all earth tones carefully placed to enhance the lines of the image. Mosaics in history are often associated with spiritual ideas making the mosaic medium for this “angel” design a distinctive, and appropriate choice.

In his over thirty years on QVC, Mackie dressed many other jewelry characters including: India inspired pieces, food and other everyday items, animal pins, and sea life. One of his most popular and beautiful designs were his carousel horse pins.

Made in four colors – black, pink, green, and white, Mackie carousel horse designs are exquisitely made. The 3″ prancing horse is perfectly proportioned.

Cast all in one piece, the design is amazingly detailed. Curls of shiny gold tone metal comprise the mane and the feathered top piece. All four versions have pink saddles with gold tone tassels and turquoise bridles.

The body of each horse is enameled with great care. It is thick, vibrantly colored, and carefully applied.

Quality Manufacturing:

Beginning in 2000 and continuing today, Joe McFate is Design Director for Mackie. This includes working with Mackie on designs for QVC and helping to present the Mackie designs on QVC. In a YouTube video titled Court-Side hosted by Courtney Webb in June 2020 Mackie and McFate discuss their QVC designs. The video reveals interesting information about their dedication to quality.

Mackie and McFate talk about their efforts to provide their QVC customers with a good-fitting garment by taking the trouble to “fit” each size on an appropriately sized model. For example, a 1X size is fitted to a 1X size model so adjustments can be made in the cut and fit of a garment for each size.

In Mackie’s words, the design has to “be exactly how it needs to be.” He applies this philosophy to jewelry as well as fashion designs.

Marketing: When most of one’s clients are famous performing artists, marketing takes care of itself. Mackie’s designs are part of rock, television, and theater history.