Surprising cause of death for costume design legend Bob Mackie is revealed

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The cause of death for iconic fashion designer Bob Mackie wasn’t pneumonia after all.

Mackie, known widely as the King of Camp, who adorned superstars including Diana Ross, Dolly Parton, Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus with fringe and sparkles, died on Sept. 14 in Palm Springs. He was 87. His publicist initially told the Associated Press that the renowned designer died of pneumonia, but a death certificate obtained by Us Weekly paints a different picture.

The certificate lists Mackie’s cause of death as a subarachnoid hemorrhage and blunt head trauma. The Mayo Clinic says a subarachnoid hemorrhage is a type of stroke that involves bleeding in the space between the brain and the tissues that cover the brain.

On Sept. 11, the designer fell at the home of his longtime design director Joseph McFate, according to the outlet, and he died days later at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs. The designer’s rep further shared that Mackie was staying at McFate’s house at the time of his fall, and that he was battling pneumonia at the time. “A healthcare professional was with him when he fell,” the rep said.

According to the death certificate, Mackie was cremated on Sept. 17, and his ashes were scatted off San Diego.

“Costume designers have long been overlooked for the importance of their work in creating and influencing mainstream contemporary fashion,” fellow fashion designer Tom Ford told The Times in a 2019 email. “Bob Mackie’s work has influenced fashion in a dramatic way, in that many of the body fitting, seemingly transparent and heavily beaded gowns that are worn on red carpets today are derivative of his work for stars like Diana Ross and Cher. The images of his costumes and gowns for these women have become a part of the landscape of fashion from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s and in my case become part of my hard-drive of references.

“His famous quote that his clothes are ‘for the woman who is not afraid to be noticed,’ ” Ford added, “is one of my mantras.”

Stars dressed by Mackie posted tributes to the designer after his death. Elton John said he was saddened by the news of Mackie’s death, writing, “Every time I put something on that Bob made, I felt very, very special. His costumes were works of art, and he will go down as one of the most legendary designers ever in Hollywood.”

Cher also weighed in, posting a tribute to Mackie on X that read, “Bob has gone up to heaven. Knowing him, he’s bringing Sequins, Beads, & his sketch pad. Good nite sweet Prince.”

Voices Contributor: Some of Bob Mackie’s tiniest dresses, for 11.5-inch Barbie, made the biggest splash Sept. 19, 2026 Bob Mackie, iconic costume designer who dressed stars including Cher and Carol Burnett, dies at 87 Sept. 14, 2026 Valentino, fashion designer to the jet set, dies at 93 Jan. 19, 2026 Show Comments Entertainment & ArtsBreaking News Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.

Emily St. Martin is an entertainment reporter on the Fast Break Desk and writes for the Books desk as well. Before joining the Los Angeles Times, she contributed to the New York Times, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, BBC, Vice and Los Angeles Magazine. She also previously worked at the Hollywood Reporter, and served as the digital features editor at Southern California News Group. In 2025, she won first place for best editorial with the L.A. Press Club.

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