This stunning and rare gown was designed by Bob Mackie. Mackie shot to fame with the work he did dressing Cher. The best of his work is dramatic and opulent and he was a master at print and color. He worked for both Edith Head and Jean Louis, where he drew Marilyn Monroe's famous 'Happy Birthday, Mr. President' dress, prior to working as a costume designer and co-designing with fellow costume designer Ray Aghayan who would become his life partner. That led to his incredible journey in designing for stars like Cher and Diana Ross for many years. In many ways it was his work and his creations that really defined their careers and helped to shape that entire idea of high glamour on the small screen. How work is incredible and this dress is one of the favourites I have had in the shop and shows his range as a designer beyond his signature beaded pieces.

This is an extraordinary Bob Mackie dress that is made in a vivid coral silk chiffon. Onto the silk are huge pink and soft orange closers set among bright green leaves. This colour combination is stunning to see. The bodice is made into a corset that is hidden under the extensive draping of the silk the covers it. Inside it is fully formed and shaped for full support. The fabric at the front crosses over itself to highlight the shape of the bust and the top of the bodice is set in a  high peak. This visually cuts on the waist and adds length. The skirt flows out from under the waist and it is made up of yards and yards of silk set in individual panels priced together. This allows the silk to really move and the movement it creates as you move is just incredible. It is cut on a curve so the layers at the front are shorter which allows some leg to show when you walk. The skirt is made up of thee full layers of silk and under that top printed layer are two more layers of a solid coral silk chiffon. All the silk is cut on the bias. The dress comes with its original matching cape piece. This buttons at the neck and then flows down and around you. It is cut on that same curves line that angles down and back around you. The colour is a bright tropical feeling print and it is truly one of the best dresses of his that I have seen. Excellent condition with one small note below

The bodice of the dress is fully lined in a red silk. The skirt has two inner layers of coral silk that follow the line of the outer layer. The bodice is shaped and and fully boned inside and has an inner waist stay that hooks to close. It then closes with a back painted metal zipper. Hand finished throughout and hand rolled edges. There are some repairs to the edge of the hem of the cape and one small one near the hem of the dress

Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 12" from top of the high peaked bodice to bottom of inner waist
Skirt: 45" from waist to longest part of hem
Cape: approx 60"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3384

Reference Photos: Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

This is an incredibly extravagant set by Bob Mackie for a collaboration he did with the Blanche lingerie brand during the late seventies - early eighties time period. It still has all of its original tags attached and is in perfect condition. Rarely do I bring in lingerie pieces but this one was so fabulous that I could not resist it. The inner gown is made of a slinky gold lurex fabric that has little gold dots printed over the fabric. The neckline is dipped very low at the front and the netting there is detailed with a pattern done in a gold metallic thread. The back dips into another low V and the entire neck line has a caped effect made from a black semi-transparent chiffon. Over this is the outer robe that is made of that same black chiffon. This gives the robe a sexy, transparent effect. The outer robe is absolutely fantastic. The cuffs and neckline have a huge and dramatic feather finish to them. Each sleeve has a wide cut with more of that gold embroidered thread design set above each feather cuff. I love how the sleeves are set on an angle. Around the neck are more of the feathers and it has a decadent Old Hollywood feel. This is everything you want from a Bob Mackie. It is over the top, glamours and extravagant. You could probably get away with wearing either piece out for evening pieces which just adds to the fabulousness of the set. All original tags attached and unworn. Excellent condition.

Both pieces slip on. The robe has ties at the front. Tagged a P (small) and the set has all its original tags. Has never been worn

Inner gown
Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 56" from neck to hem

Outer robe
Sleeves: 32" to end of feathers
Shoulders: 16"
Bust: to 27" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-hips: open
Length: 58" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3531

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

This dress is instantly recognizable as having been designed by Bob Mackie. Mackie was best known for dressing Cher and for his undying love of opulence and bead work, both of which he incorporates heavily into the best of his designs. Modern girls are obsessed with his vintage pieces. He worked for both Edith Head and Jean Louis prior to working as a costume designer and co-designing with Ray Aghayan. That led to his incredible journey in designing for stars like Cher and Diana Ross for many years. In some ways he and his creations defined their careers and that era of glamour. I think he secretly always designed for the big screen and the bygone glamor of Hollywood as his work is always over the top and extravagant. This dress has the added provenance of being the twin of the one recently worn by Tracee Ellis Ross on a 2020 episode of Blackish where she portrayed Cher. 

This is an amazing dress that is heavily sequinned and extremely sexy and flattering once on. The base of the dress is made of a nude stretch silk netting that has a pattern made up of beautiful curving bands that feel like they are wrapped around you like flames. Mixed into this is an elaborated detailing made of faux pearls that curve down the front of the dress and highlight that very high set slit at the front. The pearl embellishments travel upwards right to the neckline and even run down each sleeve. The designs that you see are made up of ivory colored sequins hand set in curving bands. White and silver tube beads are set vertically to create an edge around each of those curving bands. Additional silver sequins and even some rhinestones are scattered in between. This combination of the glass tube beads and sequins give the dress an extra layer of texture and glamour as every inch of it catches the light and sparkles. As a result the dress has a decent weight to it when it is off of the body because of that extensive bead-work, and yet once on the body it lies and drapes in a way that it is balanced and not at all unwieldy. The bodice is cut to skim over the chest with a high, slightly angled neckline. The sleeves are cut straight and lined with an additional layer of nude silk to really show off the design that trails down and around each sleeve. The waist is brought in just slightly so that there is a bit of shape created but there is no horizontal seam to break the lines of the design. The skirt is incredible and is cut on a curve so the back is longer then the front and it wraps around you to that high, wide slit at the front. The effect of this is far more dramatic and fabulous on a real body and it really shows off the legs. If you even remotely love it in the photos you will dance when you see it in person as it is so, so, so much better in real life. Extremely well made and made to demi-couture standards. These were sent to the stores with a full lining made of a nude silk chiffon and you could remove this if you wanted a true nude, semi-see through dress that Mackie is so well known for. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a nude silk through the body and the sleeves have a more transparent nude chiffon lining. It closes with a painted metal and nylon back zipper. Hand finished throughout. Slight padding in each shoulder and zippers on each cuff. In person it is a touch more of a cream. It does have some stretch and the measurements below are the comfortable range laying flat. 

Sleeves: 23"
Shoulders: 15
Bust: 18-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 56" from neck to longest point of back hem
Slit: approx 24" from front hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3503

Reference Photo: Tracee Ellis Ross in Bob Mackie for Blackish (from her Instagram and the Blackish Instagram).

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

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This stunning dress was designed by Bob Mackie. Mackie was best known for dressing Cher and for his undying love of opulence and bead work, both of which he incorporates heavily into the best of his designs. He worked for both Edith Head and Jean Louis prior to working as a costume designer and co-designing with Ray Aghayan. That led to his incredible journey in designing for stars like Cher and Diana Ross for many years. In some ways he and his creations defined their careers and that era of glamour. I think he secretly always designed for the big screen and the bygone glamor of Hollywood as his work is always over the top and extravagant.

Every square inch of this gorgeous little dress has a touch of a metallic to it. The  of the dress them selves are fairly simple and that really allows the metallic detailing to shine. Onto the pale green silk base of the dress is a gold metallic overlay that covers the dress. Then onto that are hundreds of little gold dangling rows of gold thread and gold sequins. These cover the entire dress so that with the smallest movement they move and flash all around you. The bodice is cut to skim over the chest with a scooped neckline. Over the interior bodice is a more caped piece that floats above the more fitted interior. The sleeves are capped and the waist nips in. The waist is banded and the color under the lave overlay an more nude color. Under that the skirt flares out slightly as it nears the shorter hem. The effect of all this is far more dramatic and fabulous on a real body and it really shows off the legs. If you even remotely love it in the photos you will dance when you see it in person as it is so, so, so much better in real life. Very well made to demi-couture standards. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a pale green silk. It closes with a hand set back zipper. Hand finished throughout. Lightly padded shoulders. It is surprisingly light in weight so easy top wear. It is more a matter gold in person. Main line label that id hand dated

Shoulders: 14
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 31" from shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3368

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.