After a 31-year tenure on the iconic Vegas strip, the showgirls from the production Jubilee! took a final choreographed kick in 2016. The production, famous for its intricate costumes designed by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, ended its run due to falling audience numbers and disappointed commentators who called it a spectacle “a relic of another era”.
Today, almost a decade later, showgirls, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is back.
A Master of Glitz
Referred to as the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made theatrical showgirl glitz his trademark look, dressing everyone from Hollywood icons to music superstars. Recently, a “barely-there” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, seven times its estimated price, while a metallic tasseled bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.
“In my view it looks more appealing for the new generation of stars who is looking for something other than what they were accustomed to”, he explained to a newspaper. “New stars are embracing a show-stopping, more dramatic, attention-grabbing, entrance-making statement.”
A Mainstream Revival
It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the centre of mainstream fashion in 2025 thanks to a chart-topping superstar. Recently, the entertainment titan wore one of Mackie’s classic Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, ostrich-feather armbands and shimmering headpiece were tailor-made for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.
Swift isn't alone. This year, showgirl references have been incorporated by singers including Dua Lipa as they whizzed across world tours in sparkles, cut-outs and plumes, spotlighted against theatrical sets. Her fashion curator a fashion expert told Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the 50s, Lipa’s dancers waved giant plumed accessories.
Drawing from History
Modern stars and other chart toppers also take inspiration from classic performances, including vaudeville and ensemble references. The results are vastly different from the late-century Britney Spears era of revealing tops and utilitarian trousers, and street-style dance moves that preceded this trend.
But certain observers are on board with this showgirl revival. An ex-showgirl, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word term is being “employed as an umbrella term covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even modern pop stars.”
A Coveted Vintage Style
For millennial and millennial stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become highly covetable. In 2024, Zendaya honored to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actress wore a see-through sequined dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, another pop star paid an private amount 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 retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among collectors.
“This style inspire fond memories for a past glamour,” says an archivist, a curator at the an academic institution, who studies the legacy of showgirls. “Now it is seen as a sort of ‘safe’ allure because it has been adapted. It has got all the elegance, the sparkles and the glitter but without the nudity.”
A Than Just Style: An Symbol of the City
Chung says this figure are key to the identity of Sin City. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was flanked 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 gatherings and in promotional material. “The showgirl is still a remaining figure of Vegas glamour,” Chung says.
The Appeal of Illusion
Hardy says the magical transformation of a showgirl persona is part of the attraction. It’s something Swift alludes to in a new docuseries that shows the backstage action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling rehearsals, gym sessions and numerous performances across dozens of cities, each running for 3.5 hours.
She recalls her own nights in the spotlight as “comparable to running a marathon in heels every night”. Her headdress was 34lbs. “I had to support it all the way up the stairs to the stage from the dressing rooms three floors below in the lower level. I had to leave early for my moment so I could catch my breath before I performed. You are sweating the whole time but crafting this illusion that it’s simple and stunning and dreamlike.”
Maybe this is where the fascination of the showgirl really resides. In the chaos of 2025 there is a craving for fantasy. Is there anyone better to turn to than these performers, who have always personified dreams, idealism and a universe where nobody misses a mark.
