Bob Mackie is the best in the biz.
The esteemed fashion designer is behind some of the world’s most iconic, history-making celebrity looks, from Tina Turner’s 1978 flame dress to Madonna’s silver beaded number for the 1991 Academy Awards and most of Cher’s most memorable looks.
But that’s not to say he’s exactly pleased with all of his past creations.
In his new documentary “Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion,” the costumer got candid about designing Cher’s “vulgar” look for her 1989 “If I Could Turn Back Time” video, admitting he’s embarrassed by it today.
The legendary singer wore the racy look for her 1989 video “If I Could Turn Back Time.”Cher/YouTube
The look in question, which he refers to as the “seat belt” outfit, was a sheer bodysuit with a thin strap that revealed the “Believe” singer’s tattooed behind.
“We put a lot of wild, sexy clothes on her at different times,” Mackie told Yahoo Entertainment.
“Sometimes I’d say, ‘Well, you can’t wear that for this’ … an award show or whatever, and she would [disappointedly reply], OK.’ But she wanted to wear that. Bicycle pants were in, but see-through bicycle pants are really scary.”
The designer said he told the singer, “‘Please don’t tell anyone that I designed this. Don’t let anyone know this. I’m embarrassed,’ and she was fine about it. Now she admits that, no, it wasn’t so good.”
The video itself also stirred up plenty of controversy as it was captured aboard the USS Missouri battleship and featured hundreds of cheering sailors in the background.
The entire production garnered so much backlash that MTV banned the music video from playing until after 9 p.m.
As it turns out, Cher’s envelope-pushing naked illusion dress, designed by Mackie and Ray Aghayan, also raised eyebrows.
The legendary singer donned the number for the 1974 Met Gala and on the cover of Time magazine the following year.
However, according to a Harper’s Bazaar interview, “Many towns in the United States banned this ‘shocking’ issue from the newsstands,” Mackie said. “They’re still quite collectible!”
And as of late, young starlets are dipping back into the archives, pulling vintage Bob Mackie creations for splashy red carpet appearances.
In Sept., Sabrina Carpenter attended the MTV Video Music Awards in Madonna’s aforementioned silver Oscars number, sourced from Tab Vintage.
Meanwhile, in Oct., Zendaya turned up on the red carpet for the 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, paying homage to Cher in a stomach-baring 2001.
And Cher herself wore an edgy cutout catsuit at the premiere of the documentary in May.
