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Following a long-running run on the iconic Vegas strip, the performers from the spectacle Jubilee! took a final choreographed kick in 2016. The show, famous for its intricate costumes crafted by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, came to an end due to declining audience numbers and disappointed critics who called it a spectacle “trapped in time”.

Today, roughly eight years later, the showgirl, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is back.

The Sultan of Sparkle

Dubbed the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made over-the-top showgirl glamour his signature style, outfitting everyone from Hollywood icons to music superstars. In a recent auction, a “barely-there” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, far exceeding its initial estimate, while a shimmering fringed bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more appealing for the younger performer who is looking for something other than what they knew from childhood”, he stated in an interview with a media outlet. “New stars are pushing toward a glamorous, more spectacular, attention-grabbing, entrance-making statement.”

The Mainstream Revival

It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the epicenter of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 thanks to a chart-topping superstar. Recently, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her new musical project. The bedazzled bra and thong, feathered armbands and glittering headpiece were perfect for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.

She has company. This year, showgirl references have been embraced by pop stars including Dua Lipa as they danced across world tours in sequins, strategic openings and feathers, illuminated against overstated sets. Her fashion curator her creative director told a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a showgirl attitude” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the 50s, Lipa’s dancers fluttered giant plumed accessories.

Drawing from History

Modern stars and other chart toppers also draw on classic performances, including burlesque and chorus line references. The outcome are poles apart from the 90s pop style of crop tops and utilitarian trousers, and street-style dance moves that preceded this trend.

But certain observers are on board with this showgirl renaissance. Nancy Hardy, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the 00s says the trend is “bemusing”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “used as an catch-all phrase encompassing everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now seemingly modern pop stars.”

A Coveted Classic Look

For gen Z and modern stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, a style icon honored to one of Mackie’s iconic muses, Cher, when the actress wore a see-through sequined dress made by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, Miley Cyrus paid an undisclosed sum to buy the Mackie beaded mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, the singer wore a collection of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among collectors.

“Showgirls bring about fond memories for a historical elegance,” says an archivist, a curator at the a Las Vegas university, who researches the story of showgirls. “Currently it is seen as a sort of ‘toned-down’ sexy because it has been adapted. It has got all the sophistication, the rhinestones and the sparkle but without the nudity.”

More Than Simply Fashion: An Icon of Las Vegas

The expert says this figure are central to the imagery of Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was surrounded by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas currently lacks any showgirl-based productions, the historian says they are still used as an symbol of the city, appearing at gatherings and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a lasting figure of Vegas glamour,” the expert says.

The Allure of Escape

The former showgirl says the magical transformation of a stage character is part of the attraction. This is a notion Swift alludes to in a new docuseries that shows the behind-the-scenes action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling rehearsals, gym sessions and 149 concerts across 21 countries, each running for 3.5 hours.

She describes her own nights in the spotlight as “similar to running a marathon in heels every night”. Her feathered headdress tipped the scales at 34lbs. “I had to support it all the way up the steps to the platform from the backstage area three floors below in the underground. I had to head up ahead of time for my cue so I could catch my breath before I went on stage. You’re working hard the whole time but maintaining this illusion that it’s easy and gorgeous and magical.”

Perhaps this is where the fascination of the showgirl really lies. In the chaos of 2025 there is a craving for fantasy. What better figure to turn to than showgirls, who have always personified fantasy, idealism and a universe where nobody misses a mark.