How Tina Turner got Bob Mackie to help create her classic look

When Tina Turner reinvented herself as a solo artist, she knew who to turn to to bring her vision to life.

Bob Mackie recalls working with the late singer at a pivotal moment in her life and career in the new documentary Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion.

“She was in Hollywood and appeared as a guest star herself. And I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ Obviously she (her ex-husband and music partner) had left Ike at that point, and it was like she was hiding from Ike and going from hotel to hotel with her assistant and doing these guest shots carry on The Sonny & Cher Show or The Cher Show and various things. And she was trying to have a career,” he says.

Turner, who died in 2023 at age 83, worked with Mackie through her appearances on those shows and her friendship with Cher, and she enlisted his help.

“She met me because I was on these variety shows and dressing them up, and she kind of thought, ‘Oh, someone’s actually doing that,'” he says.

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“She bought cheap evening dresses in these little shops in Paris. And they weren’t that great, but she liked the fabric and brought it in and said, ‘Can we make this look like a cave woman?’ “he remembers.

“I said, ‘Yeah, sure. Can I cut this a little higher? Can I drag this here?’ And we would turn these fun, inexpensive evening dresses into Tina Turner outfits.”

Mackie reflects on his time with Turner and remembers it being “really fun.”

“She’ll have a few glasses of wine and tell you the best stories ever,” he said. “I loved watching her backstage. She threw in a few Tylenols, put on her high heels and took the stage. It was just crazy.”

Mackie says Turner’s talent set her apart from the many who tried to achieve greatness in the industry throughout her career.

“There are certain people in this world who were born entertainers. They simply are. You can’t help it. They are just good. And she is one of them,” he says.

“She just takes the audience and runs with them. Bette Midler is like that – there are a lot of people like that. Cher just stands there and says, ‘Here I am. What do you think?’ But it’s a completely different mindset to perform.”

Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion is now playing in select theaters.