Bob Mackie Made Over 17,000 Designs for Carol Burnett Over 11 Years of Her Variety Series (Exclusive)

Bob Mackie left a major mark on TV in the 1970s.

The fashion designer, 85, began his career working with some of the most acclaimed Hollywood costume designers, Jean Louis and Edith Head. This lead him to The Judy Garland Show and later, The Carol Burnett Show.

During a preview of Mackie’s latest collaboration with Julien’s Auctions, Bold Luxury: Bob Mackie, Stage Glamour &The Couture Edit, Mackie and Martin Nolan, co-founder and executive director of Julien’s, chatted with PEOPLE about the iconic partnership, which spanned the 11 years the variety show aired.

“Well, I always did many clothes for Carol Burnett, but I also did her opening gown every week,” he said, referring to the show.

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From 1967 to 1978, not only did he design Burnett’s gown for her opening numbers but also the looks for “all the dancers and different performers and guest stars.”

“Carol has calculated that Bob made, for the 11 years of The Carol Burnett Show, about 17,000 outfits,” Nolan shares, adding, “It’s so incredible. I mean, think of the weekly output for those shows, and every outfit told a story.”

Ten different Mackie designs made for Burnett are included in Bold Luxury, showcasing not only the diversity of the designer’s abilities but also the comedienne’s sense of style. He was able to combine his costuming experience with his contemporary fashion senses with both the opening number outfits and sketch costumes.

In a 2024 Q&A, Mackie remembered the variety show’s end as “a little bittersweet.”

“I just loved doing the show. I loved making the laughs happen when they happened,” he said. 

Online registration and bidding is now available. The live auction will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 3rd at The Peninsula Beverly Hills at 10:00 a.m. PT