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Renowned fashion designer Bob Mackie, celebrated for crafting iconic stage outfits for luminaries like Cher, Tina Turner, and Carol Burnett, has taken legal action against department store JC Penney. The lawsuit centers around a clothing line dubbed “Mackie: Bob Mackie,” which the designer claims was launched without his involvement or approval.
In September, JC Penney began promoting a series of glittering gowns and cocktail dresses, suggesting that consumers could now “dress like an icon and dare to be noticed.” The marketing material highlighted Mackie’s illustrious career, referring to him as an “award-winning costume and fashion designer who has dressed some of the world’s most iconic women.” The promotional campaign featured images of the collection, presumably to entice fashion enthusiasts.
However, Mackie has asserted through a recent legal filing that he was blindsided by the collection’s announcement. The news circulated widely through media outlets such as Page Six, USA Today, and People, all reporting that Mackie had collaborated with JC Penney on the new line—a claim he denies.
In the lawsuit submitted to the Manhattan federal court on Wednesday, Mackie suggests it’s conceivable that the Bob Mackie Design Group, where he holds a minority stake, might have given JC Penney the green light. However, he insists that this group lacked the authority to grant such permission for using his name.
The lawsuit also alleges that JC Penney launched the clothing line without his consent to coincide with the buzz around Taylor Swift’s new album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” which features a Mackie design on certain album covers.
Forbes has reached out to the Bob Mackie Design Group for further comments on the situation.
Forbes has contacted Bob Mackie Design Group for comment.
JC Penny and its parent company, Catalyst Brands, did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment Thursday.
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Crucial Quote
In a press release for the collection, JC Penny noted Mackie most recently brought “his quintessential sparkle to one of the year’s most anticipated albums.” Swift wore one of Mackie’s famously bejeweled creations he originally created for the Las Vegas show “Jubilee!” on the cover of “The Life of a Showgirl.”
Taylor Swift wears Bob Mackie for the cover of “The Life of a Showgirl.”
Mert Alas, Marcus Piggott & TAS Rights Management
Tangent
The lawsuit says Mackie would have never designed a collection for JC Penny because of worries it would “diminish the commercial value of his name,” recalling when designer Halston entered into a licensing agreement with JCPenney in the 1980s and had his brand damaged. “High-end fashion retailers stopped carrying his clothing line because of Halston’s association with JCPenney, a lower-priced mass-market retail chain store,” the lawsuit reads.
Key Background
Mackie shot to fame after spending more than a decade as costume designer for the TV programs “The Carol Burnett Show” and “The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.” His long running relationship with Cher led to some of her most famous looks, including the “naked dress” he wore to the 1974 Met Gala and towering feather headdress at the 1986 Oscars. More recently, his designs have been sported by celebrities like Pink, Miley Cyrus and Zendaya.
