5 Things I Learned From Bob Mackie
Monday, May 18, 2020 at 8:48AM SPECIAL GUEST STAR DAY. Please welcome Costume Designer Daniel Orlandi (Ford V Ferrari, Trumbo) who has taken over the blog for the day -- Editor
Bob Mackie (left) and me at the 1981 Oscars
Let's start at the beginning! About a year after graduating from Carnegie Mellon a couple of college friends and I drove to LA from NYC because it seemed like our friends in LA were working a lot more than we were. A month later I got a call to work in Bob Mackie's shop for two days to help with a Las Vegas show. I ended up making G strings! After I finished, the head of his workroom asked me to organize all of Bob's trims and fabrics that had been neglected for awhile. I guess Bob was impressed. He was looking for an assistant on Pennies From Heaven (1981) and he hired me with no film experience at all. I ended up staying for 8 years. To watch he and his partner Ray Aghayan work was an invaluable education. It seemed like every star walked through the doors of their studio.
Here are five things I learned in those earliest years of my career that are my best advice for young professionals...
My first movie, Pennies From Heaven (1981)
01. Work quickly and efficiently.
Speed is important. (Don't let your actors get bored or tired during fittings!)
02. Choose the right materials.
Just because you like a color or fabric doesn’t mean it’s the right choice or the right weight for a gown. I’ve often seen young designers trying to make a bias gown out of a thin crepe de Chine. It just doesn’t hang right.
03. Never get too involved with an actor’s personal life.
Keep it friendly and professional.
04. Don’t design something you can’t deliver.
When he would sketch a gown, Mackie was already figuring out exactly how that costume was going to be made.
05. No detail is unimportant.
Bob designed some gowns for Streisand's Yentl (1983) premiere. The morning of her fitting I went to pick up some beaded fringe. The beader had used some plastic beads in this 3" fringe for the hem of an Edwardian styled gown. Bob was furious -- 'we'll replace it after the fitting.' I wondered aloud if on the hem she would even notice? He said "OH, she'll notice" She came in looked at the gowns "Beautiful... Wait! are those plastic?!" He looked at me and laughed.
Reader Comments (10)
Honestly, those are pretty good life lessons for anyone in any pursuit. I particularly like that Daniel Orlandi got that first job by organizing someone else's mess. So I'd add, get organized, or get someone to get you organized!
What a privilege, sir! What a great read. My mom's a dresser a she totally co-signs the five commandments.
Welcome!
These are great lessons.
I love these lessons too and am a bit annoyed that this many years into my career I still need to take all advice seriously haha.
Fascinating stuff. Very cute picture, I sincerely hope you both realised you were two handsome talented men at their prime and banged. Hard.
Love this notes, thanks.
Bob Mackie is awesome.
Wow, to have worked with Bob Mackie so early on! And thanks for sharing the lessons you've learned. We can all certainly use them.
The Barbra anecdote is hilarious! God bless her. Thank you for all of the wonderful advice, sir.
Marvellous piece. I hope the rumours of Mackie’s “intimate” working relationship with his protégés is true because that header picture is so gorgeous.