Bob Mackie's Showgirls: From Bernadette Peters to Taylor Swift

In "The Life of a Showgirl," Taylor Swift is tapping into a rich history of showbiz and glamor from days gone by. In some shots from the photoshoot of the album, which was announced earlier this month, the pop icon can be seen donning a glittering outfit from legendary designer Bob Mackie.

The rhinestone-laden piece was co-designed by Pete Menefee for the finale of the Las Vegas shogirl show Jubilee!, which ran from 1981 to 2016. The show itself took inspiration from Broadway revues such as the Ziegfeld Follies. For Mackie, this project follows in a decades-long tradition of the designer costuming some of entertainment's most fabulous stars.

As we prepare for Swift’s new album, which arrives in October, we have compiled a list of some of the brightest Broadway showgirls that Mackie has costumed over the years, from Barbra Streisand to Bernadette Peters.

Carol Burnett

Among the numerous performers costumed by Mackie throughout the years, one of his most frequent collaborators has been Carol Burnett. From 1967 to 1978, the designer created all of the costumes for The Carol Burnett Show, including the iconic curtain dress worn by the performer in her comedic take on Gone with the Wind. 

He has worked with Burnett many more times since, including for the filmed version of the Sondheim revue Putting It Together, and the TV remake of Once Upon a Mattress. Take a look at some of the best-known costumes as seen in Carol Burnett's 90th birthday special. 

Bette Midler

Bob Mackie has costumed Tony Award winner Bette Midler many times, including during The Divine Miss M and Bette! Divine Madness tours as well as her 1978 television special, Ol' Red Hair is Back. One unique piece designed for Midler was an orange gown and matching purse, specifically created to celebrate Halloween. 

Carol Channing

For the 1974 production of Broadway's Lorelei, Bob Mackie worked to design all the costumes, including a flashy dress worn by lead star Carol Channing. The dress is now the property of the Smithsonian, and in 2008, the late performer told the museum's publication that she almost fell over due to the weight of the outfit. "I told Bob that getting out of that dress in one minute was almost impossible. So he said, ‘Take off the sleeves.'"

Cher

In a career that has ranged from music to movies and more, Bob Mackie has been a constant for Cher. Beginning in the 1970s, the Costume Designer designed many of the performers' looks for photo shoots, tours, and public appearances. One of his most famous designs was the controversial nude dress with feathers that she wore to the 1974 Met Gala. For the jukebox musical The Cher Show, which played on Broadway from 2018 to 2019, Mackie won a Tony Award for his costume designs.

Liza Minnelli

Having previously costumed Liza Minnelli in television appearances like The Judy Garland Show, Bob Mackie reunited with the superstar in 1999 for the Broadway production of Minnelli on Minnelli. A showcase of songs performed in films directed by her father, Vincente Minnelli, Liza wore a variety of flashy outfits throughout the performance.

Diahann Carroll

Bob Mackie was a designer on The Diahann Carroll Show, a variety show that aired in 1976. With collaborator Ray Aghayan, he also designed a cape and dress for Carroll to wear to the 1975 Academy Awards. He would go on to costume the Tony Winner other times in her career, including for her cabaret act that took place in the late 1980s.

Bernadette Peters

Broadway icon Bernadette Peters has been a frequent muse for Bob Mackie, with the designer creating numerous outfits for the performer over the years. Notably, she donned a sparkling purple gown for her first Tony Award win in 1986 and, in 2021, rewore a different black dress with stars that she first wore in the 80s. A personal friend of the actress, he also designed her wedding dress and outfits for her Playboy cover in 1981. In 2023, she wore Mackie-designed costumes for the West End production of Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends.

Barbra Streisand

Following the success of the film version of Broadway’s Funny Girl, superstar Barbra Streisand returned for the sequel, Funny Lady. Released in 1975, the movie featured costumes by Ray Aghayan and Bob Mackie, both of whom were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design. 

In the movie, Streisand wears a variety of outfits across the color spectrum, representing her onstage and offstage personas. The designers used natural fabrics, as was standard during the period in which the events are set. 

Angela Lansbury 

Over the course of her career, Bob Mackie costumed Angela Lansbury many times, from major award shows to film appearances. One of the biggest examples includes the 45th Academy Awards in 1973 (seen below), when she performed the opening number Make A Little Magic in several outfits, culminating with a shimmering gown. He also worked with her in the 1996 TV musical, Mrs. Santa Claus.  

About Bob Mackie

Costume and fashion designer Bob Mackie is a nine-time Emmy Award winner, a Geoffrey Beene CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, and has three Oscar nominations. He received a 2019 Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award for his work on The Cher Show. His Broadway credits include Moon Over Buffalo and Putting It Together, starring Carol Burnett, Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public, Minnelli on Minnelli, Lorelei with Carol Channing, and On the Town with Bernadette Peters and Phyllis Newman. Broadway on television: “Once Upon a Mattress” starring Carol Burnett, “Gypsy” starring Bette Midler, “Carousel,” “Brigadoon,” “Of Thee I Sing,” and “Kismet.” Bob’s inventive and memorable designs have helped raise entertainers like Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Cher, Elton John, Ann-Margret, Bernadette Peters, Miley Cyrus, Mitzi Gaynor, Carol Burnett, Bette Midler, Pink, Zendaya, and Cher to iconic status both onscreen and off.

The Cher Show Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

Bernadette Peters Photo Credit: Bruce Glikas

Taylor Swift Photo Credit: Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott