Keke Palmer paid tribute to designer Bob Mackie on the 2026 CFDA Awards red carpet, wearing a gold gown previously worn by Raquel Welch. Palmer hosted the event, held at the American Museum of Natural History, and accessorized the look with rings and drop earrings. She wore her auburn hair in a wavy bob.
Mackie designed the nude-toned jersey gown, which is covered in glass beads and features a bra top crossing at the neckline, with five straps extending from the center of the torso toward the skirt’s hips. Welch wore it for a February 1975 episode of “The Cher Show.” During the program, she and Cher appeared in nearly identical Mackie designs and performed “I’m A Woman.”
Palmer changed outfits later in the evening, wearing two additional vintage looks: one by Marc Bouwer from the 1990s and another by Stephen Burrows from the 1970s. Fashion entrepreneur Lauren Lepire wrote on Instagram that she had long admired Mackie’s work and that seeing Palmer bring the gown back into view was especially meaningful after the designer’s recent passing.
Sources: Page Six.