VOA常速英语2008年-Designer Bob Mackie Dresses Hollywood Stars

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
27 March 2008

Costume designer Bob Mackie is known as the Sultan of Sequins, and some of the biggest names in Hollywood have worn his flamboyant¹ creations.  Mike O'Sullivan paid a visit to Mackie's Los Angeles studio to see how he designs outfits² for the stars.

Mackie has dressed a galaxy³ of stars from Anjelica Huston to Cher, and his fashions range from the elegant to the outrageous⁴. 

His list of clients stretches across the entertainment world from comediennes Carol Burnett and Whoopi Goldberg to singers Madonna and Barbra Streisand.

"When they're terribly famous and they've already made a name for themselves, these ladies have a look already," Mackie says. "They have an image already.  And sometimes you like it and sometimes you don't.   But as a costume designer, my job is always to enhance that image to make them look as good as they can.  You don't want to change them and make them into something else because it wouldn't be them."

Some people come to Hollywood to become a star.  Mackie came to dress the stars.  As a young art student, he loved the glamour⁵ of the movies.

"I liked the color, I loved the scenery, I loved the whole thing about movies and movie musicals and movie adventure stories, the pirates and Arabian Knights⁶ and all that," he says.  "You know, it didn't look like that at my house, and I wanted to be part of that."

Fresh out of art school, he worked as a sketch⁷ artist for film costume designer Jean Louis.  Then he worked with designer Edith Head at Paramount⁸ Pictures.

He went out on his own and built a roster⁹ of clients.

"You know, I was doing a lot of shows and I met a lot of people and I worked with a lot of stars, but I wanted that special one that was my very own that does a nightclub act and appears on variety shows and would always come to me for her clothes," Mackie says.

The actress, singer and dancer Mitzi Gaynor became his first celebrity¹⁰ client, and many others followed, from the Motown star Diana Ross to pop star Elton John. 

Mackie has won eight Emmy awards for dressing¹¹ stars on television, and earned three Oscar nominations¹² for dressing stars in the movies.  The Hollywood Arts Council is adding another honor, granting Mackie its first annual fashions arts award. 

"He represents so much to so many different people," says Nyla Arslanian, the council's president.  "And he's our own, and we really want to recognize him with the first fashion arts award."

After more than 40 years in Hollywood, Bob Mackie is at the top of his field.  He also designs for people outside Hollywood.  Those fashions are sold on the QVC shopping network on cable television.

But he turns his imagination loose for his celebrity clients, creating plunging¹³ necklines on gowns covered with sequins and rhinestones¹⁴, sometimes topped off with brilliantly colored hats and headdresses.

Mackie is at work now designing exotic outfits for Cher's upcoming show in Las Vegas, to open in May.

"It'll be nostalgic and there will be some looks that she has had in the past," he says.  "There'll be some things that you have never seen before.  It is a fabulous¹⁵ show with all kinds of effects, acrobats¹⁶ and dancers and scenery and costumes that go in every direction."

Those costumes, he promises, will be memorable¹⁷.

1 flamboyant   

adj.火焰般的，华丽的，炫耀的

参考例句：

• His clothes were rather flamboyant for such a serious occasion.他的衣着在这种严肃场合太浮夸了。
• The King's flamboyant lifestyle is well known.国王的奢华生活方式是人尽皆知的。

2 outfits   

n.全套装备( outfit的名词复数 )；一套服装；集体；组织v.装备，配置设备，供给服装( outfit的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He jobbed out the contract to a number of small outfits. 他把承包工程分包给许多小单位。 来自辞典例句
• Some cyclists carry repair outfits because they may have a puncture. 有些骑自行车的人带修理工具，因为他们车胎可能小孔。 来自辞典例句

3 galaxy   

n.星系；银河系；一群(杰出或著名的人物)

参考例句：

• The earth is one of the planets in the Galaxy.地球是银河系中的星球之一。
• The company has a galaxy of talent.该公司拥有一批优秀的人才。

4 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。

5 glamour   

n.魔力，魅力；vt.迷住

参考例句：

• Foreign travel has lost its glamour for her.到国外旅行对她已失去吸引力了。
• The moonlight cast a glamour over the scene.月光给景色增添了魅力。

6 knights   

骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马

参考例句：

• stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事
• He wove a fascinating tale of knights in shining armour. 他编了一个穿着明亮盔甲的骑士的迷人故事。

7 sketch   

n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述

参考例句：

• My sister often goes into the country to sketch. 我姐姐常到乡间去写生。
• I will send you a slight sketch of the house.我将给你寄去房屋的草图。

8 paramount   

a.最重要的，最高权力的

参考例句：

• My paramount object is to save the Union and destroy slavery.我的最高目标是拯救美国，摧毁奴隶制度。
• Nitrogen is of paramount importance to life on earth.氮对地球上的生命至关重要。

9 roster   

n.值勤表，花名册

参考例句：

• The teacher checked the roster to see whom he would teach this year.老师查看花名册，想了解今年要教的学生。
• The next day he put himself first on the new roster for domestic chores.第二天，他把自己排在了新的家务值日表的第一位。

10 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

11 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

12 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句

13 plunging   

adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• War broke out again, plunging the people into misery and suffering. 战祸复发，生灵涂炭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He is plunging into an abyss of despair. 他陷入了绝望的深渊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 rhinestones   

n.莱茵石，人造钻石( rhinestone的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It's got rhinestones and zebra stripes on it. 上面有人造钻石，还是斑马条的。 来自电影对白
• The final touch was a single white glove, studded with rhinestones. 最触动人的是一只白色手套，上面点缀着人造钻石。 来自互联网

15 fabulous   

adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的

参考例句：

• We had a fabulous time at the party.我们在晚会上玩得很痛快。
• This is a fabulous sum of money.这是一笔巨款。

16 acrobats   

n.杂技演员( acrobat的名词复数 )；立场观点善变的人，主张、政见等变化无常的人

参考例句：

• I was always fascinated by the acrobats at the circus. 我总是着迷于马戏团里的杂技演员。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The acrobats' performance drew forth applause from the audience. 杂技演员的表演博得了观众的掌声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。