Costume designer Bob Mackie, known as the "Sultan of Sequins," paid tribute to his longtime muse and friend Dolly Parton on social media, remembering her as a "lovely soul and spirit" and "a joy and pleasure to dress." Mackie, 86, began designing for Parton in the 1970s, crafting many of the glittering, embellished ensembles that became integral to her larger-than-life stage persona. Among his most notable creations for the singer was the winged butterfly gown she wore for her 1979 TV special "Dolly & Carol in Nashville," alongside Carol Burnett. Another memorable creation from the same program was a scarlet lace mermaid-hem dress.
These and other iconic outfits are preserved in the Dolly Archive, a 50,000-square-foot collection of Parton's stage wear, which includes numerous rhinestone-adorned jumpsuits and cowboy boots. Many of these pieces are showcased at Dolly's Life of Many Colors Museum in Nashville and Dollywood's Dolly Parton Experience in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Butterflies held particular significance for Parton, who adopted the creature as her personal emblem, telling W magazine in October 2021 that "Butterflies don't sting, they don't bite, and they are so beautiful. I just kind of related to them with my own personality. I claimed them as my little symbol." Oprah Winfrey also shared a tribute, posting a backstage photo from the 1987 variety show "Dolly," where she and Parton both wore coordinating Mackie gowns. Winfrey recalled Parton as a woman from the Smoky Mountains who "brought the light." "One of my fondest memories with @dollyparton: Having a hoot and a holler while wearing Bob Mackie gowns on her show Dolly," Winfrey wrote on Instagram. "This girl from the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee dreamed a life and then lived a life bigger than she could have ever imagined, giving so generously to others in ways we saw and ways we didn’t. No one like her. She brought the light, and we are all better because she was here. God bless you, Dolly—you earned your wings." Parton also appeared alongside Cher in an ABC special, with both stars dazzling in yin-and-yang bedazzled gowns designed by Mackie. Parton famously embraced a maximalist approach to fashion, once declaring, "more is more, and whoever made up ‘less is more’ is full of it."