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Following a long-running run on the iconic Vegas strip, the showgirls from the production Jubilee! took a final choreographed kick in 2016. The production, renowned for its ornate costumes designed by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, ended its run due to dwindling audience numbers and unimpressed reviewers who labeled it a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

Now, nearly ten years later, the showgirl persona, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is making a comeback.

A Master of Sparkle

Known as the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made theatrical showgirl glamour his defining aesthetic, outfitting everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Madonna. In a recent auction, a “see-through” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, far exceeding its initial estimate, while a silver and gold beaded bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 concert 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 told a media outlet. “New stars are embracing a glamorous, more dramatic, show-stopping, grand statement.”

A Musical Revival

It’s a look that glided all the way to the heart of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 thanks to Taylor Swift. In the past few months, the entertainment titan wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The bedazzled bra and thong, plumed armbands and glittering headpiece were tailor-made for a record called The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift is part of a trend. This year, showgirl inspirations have been adopted by singers including Sabrina Carpenter as they danced across world tours in sequins, cut-outs and plumes, highlighted against theatrical sets. A top stylist a fashion expert explained to Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl attitude” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the 50s, Lipa’s dancers wafted giant ostrich feather fans.

Pulling from Tradition

Modern stars and other chart toppers also take inspiration from historical entertainment forms, including vaudeville and chorus line references. The outcome are worlds away from the 1990s era teen pop of short shirts and utilitarian trousers, and street-style dance moves that preceded this trend.

But certain observers are convinced with this glamour resurgence. A former performer, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the early 2000s says the trend is “bemusing”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “employed as an catch-all phrase encompassing everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even today's icons.”

A Coveted Retro Look

For younger and modern stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, Zendaya paid tribute to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actor wore a semi-sheer embellished dress created by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Later that year, Miley Cyrus paid an undisclosed sum to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn earlier in the year to perform at the Grammys. In September, Sabrina Carpenter wore a collection of retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among fashion collectors.

“This style evoke nostalgia for a bygone era of glitz,” says a historian, head of special collections at the a Las Vegas university, who studies the legacy of showgirls. “Currently it is seen as a sort of ‘safe’ allure because it has been modified. It has got all the elegance, the sparkles and the shine but without the bare skin.”

A Than Just Fashion: An Icon of Las Vegas

She says showgirls are key to the identity of Las Vegas. She points to ex-mayor Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was flanked by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas does not host any showgirl-centric productions, Chung says they are still featured as an logo of the city, being present at gatherings and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a remaining figure of Las Vegas glamour,” Chung says.

The Allure of Illusion

Hardy says the magical transformation of a stage character is part of the appeal. This idea the singer alludes to in a recent behind-the-scenes film that documents the backstage action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense practice sessions, workouts and numerous shows across multiple nations, each lasting 3.5 hours.

The performer describes her own nights in the spotlight as “comparable to completing an endurance race in high heels every night”. Her headdress weighed 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the stairs to the platform from the green rooms three floors below in the basement. I had to leave early for my moment so I could recover before I made my entrance. You are working hard the whole time but crafting this fantasy that it’s simple and gorgeous and magical.”

Maybe this is where the appeal of the showgirl really lies. In the busyness of 2025 there is a longing for fantasy. Is there anyone better to emulate than these performers, who have always embodied dreams, perfection and a universe where nobody makes a mistake.