Sabrina Carpenter paid public tribute to Cher this week by wearing a vintage Bob Mackie gown the legend first wore 50 years ago while attending an MTV Video Music Awards after-party in New York City.
The 26-year-old singer arrived at the Studio 54–themed soiree in a custom archival Mackie piece: a skintight black bodysuit outlined with pink and blue fringe and covered with mirror rhinestones. The dress was originally created for Cher and was famously worn during a duet with Tina Turner on The Cher Show in April 1975.
Carpenter completed the 1970s look with sky-high silver chrome heels, voluminous disco-era curls and bold makeup that emphasized lower lashes and a vibrant pink lip. Photographs show the two-time Grammy nominee arriving with security in tow as she entered the after-party.
The homage to Cher continued a streak of tributes by Carpenter to pop icons at this year’s VMAs. Earlier in the evening she performed the television debut of her single "Tears," during which she drew comparisons to Britney Spears by dancing in staged rain while wearing a bedazzled bra. That staging echoed performances Spears presented during her 2001 Dream Within a Dream Tour, where she performed in the rain while wearing a diamond Bob Mackie bra.
Carpenter has repeatedly referenced the work of other pop figures in recent years. At last year’s VMAs she wore a Bob Mackie gown once worn by Madonna to the 1991 Academy Awards, and she channeled Madonna again for her first Vogue cover, posing in a platinum-blonde wig and a baby-blue Dolce & Gabbana teddy that recalled Madonna’s Jean Paul Gaultier corseted looks from the 1990 Blond Ambition tour. Madonna responded on Carpenter’s Instagram with eye emojis and the comment, "Is this a Valentine's present to me?" Carpenter replied, "@madonna It sure is!"
Britney Spears reacted to Carpenter’s VMA-era tributes on Instagram, saying in part, "I forget I'm famous sometimes because I'm a mom, I'm kind of old, blah blah blah. But I thought it was kind of cool. She made me cool."
The archival Mackie frock and Carpenter’s other references to pop history came on a night when she also won three Moon Person trophies at the MTV VMAs. Her awards included Best Album for Short N Sweet, Best Pop Artist and Best Visual Effects for the music video "Manchild." In her Best Album acceptance speech, Carpenter thanked her fans and reflected on the span of her work, saying, "I really don't take for granted when you guys take the time out of your lives to listen to an album. And if I'm lucky enough that that is my album, I am so grateful… I'm just the luckiest girl in the world."
Designers such as Bob Mackie have long been associated with landmark moments in pop performance and red-carpet fashion; archival pieces resurfacing on contemporary artists highlight the continuing influence of stagewear from the 1970s and 1990s. Carpenter’s choice to wear Cher’s original 1975 gown underscores a broader trend of contemporary performers referencing earlier eras of pop culture both musically and visually.
Carpenter’s VMAs appearances — from costume choices to stage staging — have continued to provoke conversation about the interplay between homage and reinvention in modern pop. The singer, who has amassed a large social media following and a high-profile touring and recording career, used the after-party appearance to extend the visual narrative she presented on stage earlier in the night.
Photographs of the event and Carpenter’s attire circulated widely on social platforms following the after-party, renewing attention on the original Mackie gown’s place in television and performance history and its continued resonance in contemporary pop presentation.