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User:Premeditated Chaos/Black Bob Mackie outfit of Cher

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American singer and actress Cher wore a black two-piece ensemble with feathered headdress designed by Bob Mackie to present the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor at the 58th Academy Awards on March 24, 1986. The unconventional design of the outfit, inspired by Las Vegas showgirls and Cher's Native American heritage, was controversial.

Cher later described it as an attempt to irritate the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who she felt had snubbed her by not nominating her performance in Mask (1985).[1]

Background edit

Cher had established her entertainment career in the 1960s and 1970s as one half of the pop duo Sonny & Cher, then transitioned to hosting television in the 1970s.[1][2] By the 1980s, her popularity as a singer was waning, and she decided to further develop her acting career. She had previously ventured into film with Good Times (1967) and Chastity (1969), but both were critically and commercially unsuccessful, and and the Hollywood establishment did not respect her abilities as an actress.[3] She was frequently the subject of gossip magazines and tabloids for her outlandish fashion sense, appearances in commercials, and numerous relationships, at a time when such things were comparatively rare for so-called serious actresses, which further distanced her from the Hollywood mainstream.[4]

Her supporting role in biographical drama Silkwood (1983) earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, but not a win.[1] She next starred in the film Mask (1985). Although she won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival and scored a Golden Globes nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, she was not nominated for an Academy Award at the 58th Academy Awards, which she took to be a deliberate snub.[1][5] Cher was further offended when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited her to present the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor at that year's ceremony. She told The New York Times in 1987 that she had intended not to go to the ceremony, but then "they asked me to present, these people who had just said, 'No, you can’t be one of us.'"[1] Cher decided to wear an outfit that would demand attention and "remind them of what they don’t like about me".[4][6][7]

Design and debut edit

 
Bob Mackie designs for Cher and Farrah Fawcett on The Sonny & Cher Show (1976)

The outfit consisted of a black bralette with a "grid-patterned breastplate choker" and low-rise skirt, which were cut to expose most of Cher's midriff.[8] Both pieces had matching triangular hems and were encrusted with jewels. She also wore an embroidered cashmere shawl, thigh-high boots, and an enormous feathered headdress, all in black.[1][6][7] It was created by American designer Bob Mackie, who was well known for shocking designs that used minimal fabric and maximal embellishment.[7] He had designed a number of outfits for Cher already, including six previous Oscars outfits.[7][9]

The details of the design were kept secret until the ceremony to maximize the effect.[4]

Cher was introduced at the awards ceremony by Jane Fonda, who said "Wait'll you see what's gonna come out here".[10] At the podium, Cher joked, "As you can see, I did receive my Academy booklet on how to dress like a serious actress."[11]


References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f Nast, Condé (2022-02-03). "The Making of Cher's Oscar Revenge Dress". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  2. ^ Wilson, Cintra (February 22, 2000). "Cher". Salon. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  3. ^ Berman, Connie (2001). Cher. Infobase Publishing. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-7910-5907-4.
  4. ^ a b c Cosgrave, Bronwyn (2008-12-02). Made For Each Other: Fashion and the Academy Awards. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 164. ISBN 978-1-59691-752-1.
  5. ^ "Golden Globe Awards for 'Cher'". The Golden Globes.
  6. ^ a b AnOther (2018-03-02). "When Bob Mackie Dressed Cher as a Showgirl for the 1986 Oscars". AnOther. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  7. ^ a b c d "Cher wore 1986 Oscars dress to send a message to the Academy". The Independent. 2019-11-06. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  8. ^ Cosgrave 2008, p. 165.
  9. ^ Cosgrave 2008, p. 163.
  10. ^ Cosgrave 2008, p. 168.
  11. ^ Cosgrave 2008, p. 169.
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