while collaborating on The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. Mackie costumed Cher, who could have between 10 to 20 changes, and Turner designed the rest of the show, which included nearly a hundred costumes for the cast and often a “twin” look for Sonny. The timeframe was relentless, requiring every sketch to be fabricated in under a week. Looks were designed from wig to shoe and almost everything was custom made. “It had to fit, there was no alternate waiting on the rack,” shrugs Mackie. The element of comedy necessitated that costumes negotiate a delicate balance in order to add, not subtract. Understanding how a performer moved was crucial, because often the costume informed the humor. Producers and actors completely trusted their design instincts. “Carol Burnett would come to fittings asking, ‘What do I get to wear?’” says Mackie, “and it just got more and more spectacular as we went along. Some weeks, we’d just look at each other and say, ‘Wow.’” Turner adds, “What we did then—variety with comedy and fantasy—really doesn’t exist now.” But their touchstone has always been glamour.
The Cult Favorite Judy Evans No one championed glamour going forward more than the late CDs Nolan Miller in Dynasty and William Travilla in Dallas and Knot’s Landing. Their costumes defined the next decade, as audiences tuning in for the melodrama also had an insatiable appetite for the exaggerated silhouettes. CD Judy Evans spearheaded many shows in the ’80s, but two of the most influential stood in sharp contrast to the landscape of broad shouldered, wasp waisted suits. The first was The Golden Girls. Not only did The Golden Girls gather critical acclaim, it was beloved by a broad audience. Evans took the direction from the producers to create a vibrant look for the four mature leads, and ran with it. It was a breakthrough sshow, with Evans single-handedly redefining what “dressing your looked like. From Dorothy’s layered looks in intriguing fabrics paired age” look with low boots and sophisticated jewelry to Blanche’s unabashed embrace femininity, The Golden Girls ensemble cast is considered by some of her fem to be the prototype for Sex and the City. Evans worked hard to keep the characters distinct and give them an optimistic vitality with color that character their upbeat Florida surroundings. She chuckles, “I got an awful lot suited the mail!” The costumes, however, inspired such appreciation because of fan ma freed an entire generation to age gracefully and beautifully. they free On tthe other end of the spectrum was the surprise hit Beauty and Beast, featuring actor Ron Perlman as the benevolent Beast. Evan’s the Beas costumes combined present day, period, and fantasy in a nuanced, romantic, and poetic way that complemented the literary undertone of romantic show. She describes it as a seven-day-a-week prep show, as opposed the show five-day schedule. Because episodes were shot on film, there was to a fiveone show in production, one shooting, and one prepping. always o “That, ccoupled with working—I think I had three other shows at the time—was intensive. I was very compartmentalized. When I walked time— Beauty and the Beast, it was all Beauty and the Beast ... and I into B good crews on every single show, great people to work with. had g Dedicated. We all worked hard, we brought a lot of professionalism Dedi our craft.” to ou
Bob Mackie and Cher
The Golden Girls cast: Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Betty White and Estelle Getty. etty.
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