Following a 31-year tenure on the iconic Vegas strip, the showgirls from the production Jubilee! gave one last perfectly timed kick in 2016. The production, known for its elaborate costumes created by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, ended its run due to dwindling audience numbers and critical critics who described it as a spectacle “stuck in the past”.
Today, nearly ten years later, the showgirl persona, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is experiencing a revival.
A Master of Sequins
Referred to as the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made dramatic showgirl glamour his signature style, dressing everyone from Hollywood icons to Madonna. In a recent auction, a “barely-there” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, well over its initial estimate, while a shimmering tasseled bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.
“In my view it looks more attractive for the emerging artists who is seeking something other than what they knew from childhood”, he explained to a newspaper. “Today's artists are striving for a show-stopping, more spectacular, show-stopping, memorable statement.”
The Musical Comeback
It’s a look that glided all the way to the centre of mainstream fashion in 2025 propelled by a chart-topping superstar. In the past few months, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The crystal-covered bra and thong, feathered armbands and sparkly headpiece were ideal for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.
She isn't alone. This year, showgirl references have been adopted by singers including Dua Lipa as they whizzed across world tours in sparkles, revealing designs and plumes, illuminated against camp sets. A top stylist a fashion expert told Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the 1950s, the backup dancers wafted giant ostrich feather fans.
Drawing from History
These artists and other chart toppers also draw on historical performances, including vaudeville and chorus line references. The results are poles apart from the 1990s era teen pop of crop tops and cargo pants, and street-style dance moves that preceded this trend.
But not everyone are enthusiastic with this showgirl revival. A former performer, a former Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the 2000s says the trend is “bemusing”. She thinks the word term is being “treated as an catch-all phrase encompassing everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now seemingly Taylor Swift.”
The Highly Sought-After Classic Style
For millennial and young adult stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, a style icon paid tribute to one of Mackie’s earliest clients, Cher, when the actress wore a semi-sheer embellished dress created by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, Miley Cyrus paid an undisclosed sum to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, Sabrina Carpenter wore a series of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among vintage enthusiasts.
“This style evoke a sense of longing for a historical elegance,” says an archivist, a curator at the University of Nevada, who documents the story of showgirls. “Today it is considered a sort of ‘safe’ sexy because it has been adapted. It has got all the sophistication, the crystals and the glitter but without the bare skin.”
A Than Just Style: An Symbol of the City
The expert says the showgirl image are key to the iconography of Vegas. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was flanked by two showgirls. While Las Vegas does not host any traditional showgirl productions, the historian says they are still used as an emblem of the city, showing up at conventions and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a enduring icon of Vegas glamour,” the expert says.
The Appeal of Escape
Hardy says the complete change of a stage character is part of the allure. It’s something Taylor Swift alludes to in a new documentary series that documents the off-camera action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included exhausting preparations, training and numerous performances across multiple nations, each running for 3.5 hours.
Hardy explains her own showgirl performances as “comparable to extreme physical exertion in stilettos every night”. Her headpiece was 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the staircase to the performance area from the backstage area three floors below in the underground. I had to leave early for my cue so I could rest before I performed. You’re sweating the whole time but creating this fantasy that it’s simple and beautiful and ethereal.”
Maybe this is where the true allure of the showgirl really lies. In the complexity of 2025 there is a craving for escapism. Who better to look to than these performers, who have always represented dreams, flawlessness and a universe where no one misses a mark.
