by 
All Photography by Diane Dulgerian Photography
1980s vintage fashion wouldn’t have been the same without the influence of designer and costume creative genius Bob Mackie.
Known as the “sultan of sequins” and the “rajah of rhinestones,” Mackie is most celebrated for outfitting performers for their razzle-dazzle stage performances (The Supremes, Whitney Houston, P!nk, just to name a few) and of course, Cher’s unforgettable look to the 1986 Academy Awards wearing knock-out evening wear and a huge feathered Mohawk headdress.
But Bob Mackie is more than just illustrious designs worn by divas of the stage. Yes, Mackie designs for plenty of real divas – but he also designs for real women to feel like divas, too. Because in the words of Mackie himself: “A woman who wears my clothes is not afraid to be noticed.”
In 1982, after two decades as a costume designer for actresses and performers of TV, film and music, Bob Mackie designed his first collection for a new type of stage: The Catwalk of Fashion Week.
Inspired by the inner strength of female performers never ashamed to stand apart from the crowd, his ready-to-wear collections of the ’80s and ’90s were designed for the mainstream woman to “Dare to Wear” so that they could celebrate their most fabulous self and shine their inherent light on the world.
I believe that every woman deserves to unleash her daring diva within. Which is why I’m so proud to announce that Sammy Davis Vintage is partnering with Bob Mackie to help spread #vintagelove and honor the legacy of his ready-to-wear collection and impact on the history of fashion and ’80s clothing trends.
Beginning today through 12:01AM on Thursday, August 15, you can enter the #givemeamackie Instagram video contest to win the vintage Bob Mackie couture dress I’m wearing in the photo above!
Love this contest? CLICK TO TWEET and spread the #vintagelove!
How to enter the #givemeamackie contest plus terms and conditions are below photos of me daring to wear this 1982 couture Mackie in Bryant Park, New York City.
For friends and followers in NYC: The dress will be available for viewing in the window of Screaming Mimis (382 Lafayette Street, off Astor Place) beginning Tuesday, August 13th for approximately two weeks.
Plus: Check out my special video announcing the contest – shot in the offices of Bob Mackie’s New York City headquarters!
Before entering the contest, don’t forget to follow Sammy Davis Vintage and Bob Mackie on Instagram!
xx, SD
Shot in the offices of the Bob Mackie offices, I share the exciting news of the #givemeamackie Instagram video contest and an up-close-and-personal look at the couture dress that one fabulous woman will persuade myself and Bob Mackie only she deserves to give a happy home!
Please scroll to the bottom of this post for more on how to enter the contest and to review the complete terms & conditions.
The Bob Mackie Vintage Dress
| History |
The dress dates from Bob Mackie’s debut ready-to-wear collection. Not only was this dress for the runway – it was for Bob Mackie’s first appearance on the runways of Fashion Week.
Its previous owner generously donated the dress to Bob Mackie. She was the first and only owner, purchasing it direct from the 1982 collection to wear whilst socializing and mingling at high society New York City events.
Bob Mackie’s New York team contacted me to discuss how we could honor this iconic gown’s vintage history with a contest to give any vintage lover the chance to own the dress for their personal collections.
Thus: #givemeamackie was born.
By marrying the past with the present and hosting this contest on Instagram, we’re honoring vintage by making it more accessible to the modern woman who dares to wear vintage style that makes her feel and look her best today.
Learn more about the history of Bob Mackie vintage labels on the Vintage Fashion Guild.
| On Location |
Photographer Diane Dulgerian and I chose to shoot near the Bob Mackie offices in Bryant Park, New York City.
We decided to shoot at Bryant Park because it paid homage to the tents of Fashion Week, which from 1994 to 2010 were stationed in Bryant Park for the fashion press, magazine editors, socialites and celebrities to get a firsthand look at the trends of the future.
While this dress didn’t walk the runways of Bryant Park’s tents, giving the dress a chance to shine in a place of fashion history only made sense.
Found next to the iconic 42nd Street New York Library (where Carrie Bradshaw was “to be” married in the Sex & the City movie), visitors can find Bryant Park between 40th and 42nd streets and 5th & 6th avenues in New York City.
The park was officially declared a public space in – no joke – 1686! The first “park” opened in 1847. Before then, it was a graveyard for the poor and in 1776, George Washington’s troops crossed its grounds.
The park was off limits in the 1970s, home to drug dealers, prostitutes and general riff-raff representative of New York City’s urban decline.
In the late ’80s and 1990s – when New York City was pushing programs to improve the city’s infrastructure and overall safety and comfortability for residents and tourists alike – the park underwent a series of major revitalizations and today is a public space home to cafes, restaurants, community events like book readings, speakers, summer screenings of classic films and even a vintage-style carousel (that only costs $2 to ride!).
Not to forget that for years, Bryant Park was home to the tents of NYC Fashion Week until the shows’ move to the westside-located Lincoln Center in 2010.
Despite being everything from a burial ground to a drug-zone, today, Bryant Park is a glistening diamond of natural escape (much like WP Diamonds) in the frenzied concrete streets of midtown Manhattan.
|Dress Specs |
The dress is an approximate modern size 2-4.
My body measurements at time of the shoot: 35″ bust – 27″ waist – 36″ hips
I am 5’9″ tall and wear a modern size 4-6. The dress was tight on me and had little breathing room.
The dress has stretch, and so the range of measurements is as follows:
32″-35″ bust – 24″-27″ waist – hips up to 48″
Laid flat without taking stretch into consideration, the measurements are as follows:
32″ bust – 24″ waist – hips 26″, stretches up to 48″
| How to Win the Dress |
Love this contest? CLICK TO TWEET and spread the #vintagelove!
STEP 1: Follow Bob Mackie and Sammy Davis Vintage and Screaming Mimis on Instagram.
STEP 2: Time to brainstorm! Why do you deserve to win this Bob Mackie dress? How will you wear it? Honor it? Cherish it?
Sammy Davis Vintage and Bob Mackie want to know – and it’s up to you to persuade us why you can give this dress the happiest home of them all.
STEP 3: Take a deep breath and feel your #powerwithin before filming. Shine your authentic self! Be be colorful, be candid, be true, be you!
STEP 4: Upload your video to your Instagram account answering the question “Why do you deserve to win this Bob Mackie dress?”
STEP 5: Don’t forget to hash tag your video, #givemeamackie and tag @bobmackie + @sammydavisvintage + @screamingmimisNYC in the video description.
STEP 6: Create an alter to sequins and pray to the Gods of glamour. Oh wait … that’s what I’m doing – totally optional for you!
****
Designer Bob Mackie will choose the final winner to give this collectible dress a happy home. Could it be you?
Plus: Two lucky runner-ups will receive a set of exclusive Bob Mackie notebooks (a set of 3 notebooks per each winner), to be released to the market on fall/winter 2013. Each notebook is decorated with an original Bob Mackie illustration.
The winners will be two of the first to own these notebooks!
| Contest Terms & Conditions |
The contest begins today, August 1st, 2013 and closes at 12:01AM on Thursday, August 15th. Entries must be US-based (continental US, Hawaii and Alaska) and 18 years or older.
Sammy of Sammy Davis Vintage and the owner of New York City vintage store Screaming Mimis will choose the 10 runner-ups.
Final contest winners will be contacted by the team of Bob Mackie.
To read the complete contest terms & conditions, click here.
Thank you Bob Mackie!
Special thanks to Bob Mackie for generously hosting this contest and for spreading #vintagelove by inspiring women to shine their fabulous selves within.
Visit Bob Mackie
| Shop – Instagram – Facebook – Twitter – Pinterest |
Thank you Screaming Mimis!
Thank you to Screaming Mimi’s for honoring the legacy of Bob Mackie with its window display of this collectible couture piece!
Visitors can find Screaming Mimis at 382 Lafayette Street in lower Manhattan, off the Astor Place 6 train.
Visit Screaming Mimis
| Shop – Instagram – Facebook – Twitter |
Photography Thanks to Diane Dulgerian Photography
Diane Dulgerian is a New York City based photographer with an eye for style.
She specializes in portrait photography of children, high school seniors, engagement/couples/love, families, events, maternity and pets.
Visit Diane Dulgerian Photography
| Site – Facebook – Instagram |
More 1980s Fashion
FASHION: My ’80s Dresses Shoot with Olive’s Very Vintage
HISTORY: The Top 1980s Fashion Trends
BOB MACKIE: The History of Bob Mackie on Wikipedia
PINTEREST: More Vintage Bob Mackie Dresses on Pinterest
VINTAGE: Got Mackie? C. Madeleine Has Vintage Bob Mackie Gowns Galore!
Love this contest? CLICK TO TWEET and spread the #vintagelove!
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