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Following a long-running run on the iconic Vegas strip, the dancers from the spectacle Jubilee! executed their last choreographed kick in 2016. The show, known for its intricate costumes designed by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, came to an end due to dwindling audience numbers and disappointed critics who described it as a spectacle “stuck in the past”.

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

A Master of Glitz

Dubbed the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made dramatic showgirl glitz his defining aesthetic, dressing everyone from Hollywood icons to Madonna. In a recent auction, a “see-through” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, far exceeding its estimated price, while a metallic beaded bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 concert sold for $19,200.

“I believe it looks more appealing for the younger performer who is seeking something other than what they were accustomed to”, he stated in an interview with a publication. “Contemporary performers are striving for a show-stopping, more theatrical, breathtaking, entrance-making statement.”

The Pop Culture Revival

It’s a look that made its way all the way to the heart of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 thanks to Taylor Swift. Earlier this year, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s classic Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The bedazzled bra and thong, ostrich-feather armbands and shimmering headpiece were ideal for a record called The Life of a Showgirl.

The singer has company. This year, showgirl references have been incorporated by pop stars including Dua Lipa as they whizzed across concert platforms in sequins, revealing designs and ostrich feathers, highlighted against overstated sets. Her fashion curator a fashion expert told a style publication he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the 50s, Lipa’s dancers wafted giant feathered fans.

Drawing from the Past

Lipa, Carpenter and other hitmakers also draw on historical performances, including burlesque and chorus line references. The final look are worlds away from the 1990s era Britney Spears era of crop tops and utilitarian trousers, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that preceded this trend.

But certain observers are enthusiastic with this glamour resurgence. An ex-showgirl, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the 2000s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “used as an catch-all phrase covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even modern pop stars.”

A Coveted Vintage Style

For younger and millennial stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, a style icon paid tribute to one of Mackie’s iconic muses, Cher, when the star wore a translucent embellished dress created by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he designed for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, another pop star paid an significant price to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn earlier in the year to perform at the Grammys. In September, the singer wore a trio of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among fashion collectors.

“Showgirls evoke nostalgia for a historical elegance,” says an archivist, head of special collections at the an academic institution, who researches the history of showgirls. “Currently it is viewed as a sort of ‘safe’ sexy because it has been adapted. It has got all the sophistication, the sparkles and the sparkle but without the exposure.”

A Than Simply Fashion: An Icon of Las Vegas

The expert says this figure are central to the iconography of Sin City. She points to ex-mayor Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was surrounded by two showgirls. While Las Vegas currently lacks any showgirl-based productions, Chung says they are still featured as an emblem of the city, showing up at corporate events and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a lasting figure of Las Vegas glamour,” she says.

The Allure of Transformation

The former showgirl says the transformative effect of a showgirl persona is part of the appeal. It’s something the singer hints at in a latest documentary series that captures the behind-the-scenes action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included exhausting preparations, workouts and 149 performances across dozens of cities, each going on for 3.5 hours.

Hardy describes her own showgirl performances as “comparable to running a marathon in heels every night”. Her headdress weighed 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the stairs to the stage from the backstage area three floors below in the underground. I had to leave early for my moment so I could catch my breath before I went on stage. One is working hard the whole time but maintaining this fantasy that it’s easy and stunning and dreamlike.”

Maybe this is where the fascination of the showgirl really lies. In the chaos of 2025 there is a longing for escapism. Who better to look to than showgirls, who have always represented fantasy, perfection and a world where no one falters.