Who designed Cher’s revealing black gown for the 1988 Academy Awards?

Bob Mackie designed Cher’s revealing black gown for the 1988 Academy Awards.

Cher wore the outfit at the 60th Academy Awards in 1988, where she presented the award for Best Supporting Actor. The look consisted of a black, midriff-baring gown with a dramatic feathered headdress, making it one of the ceremony’s most memorable fashion moments.

The designer was Bob Mackie, who became closely associated with Cher’s stage and television wardrobe. Mackie’s work often used theatrical silhouettes, elaborate decoration and strong visual references, and the Oscar outfit reflected that show-business sensibility rather than conventional Hollywood evening dressing.

Cher was not nominated that year, but the look attracted more attention than many of the nominated stars’ clothes. She later returned to the Academy Awards in 1989 in a much more restrained black gown after winning Best Actress for Moonstruck the previous year. The 1988 outfit is sometimes misattributed to Versace because of its boldness, but Mackie was the designer.