After a long-running stint on the iconic Vegas strip, the dancers from the spectacle Jubilee! gave one last synchronised kick in 2016. The show, renowned for its ornate costumes crafted by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, ended its run due to declining audience numbers and critical reviewers who described it as a spectacle “a relic of another era”.
Today, almost a decade later, showgirls, or at least the showgirl style, is making a comeback.
The King of Sequins
Dubbed the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made dramatic showgirl glamour his trademark look, dressing everyone from Hollywood icons to Madonna. Earlier this month, a “see-through” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, far exceeding its projected value, while a silver and gold tasseled bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.
“I think it looks more enticing for the younger performer who is looking for something other than what they knew from childhood”, he told a newspaper. “Contemporary performers are striving for a glamorous, more dramatic, show-stopping, grand statement.”
The Musical Revival
It’s a look that made its way all the way to the centre of popular culture in 2025 thanks to Taylor Swift. Recently, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her new musical project. The bedazzled bra and thong, feathered armbands and shimmering headpiece were ideal for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.
The singer isn't alone. This year, showgirl references have been embraced by singers including Sabrina Carpenter as they zoomed across arena stages in sequins, cut-outs and feathers, highlighted against overstated sets. A top stylist a fashion expert mentioned in an interview with a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a showgirl attitude” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the 1950s, Lipa’s dancers wafted giant ostrich feather fans.
Drawing from Tradition
These artists and other successful musicians also reference 19th-century entertainment forms, including vaudeville and chorus line references. The final look are poles apart from the late-century teen pop of revealing tops and cargo pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that came before them.
But certain observers are enthusiastic with this showgirl renaissance. A former performer, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the 2000s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “used as an broad label including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now seemingly today's icons.”
The Coveted Classic Style
For gen Z and young adult stars, Mackie’s vintage 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 see-through embellished dress created by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he designed for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, another pop star paid an undisclosed sum to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, the singer wore a trio of vintage Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among vintage enthusiasts.
“The showgirl aesthetic evoke fond memories for a past glamour,” says an archivist, a curator at the a Las Vegas university, who studies the history of showgirls. “Now it is seen as a sort of ‘toned-down’ sexy because it has been updated. It has got all the glamour, the crystals and the shine but without the exposure.”
A Than Simply Style: An Symbol of Vegas
She says showgirls are integral to the identity of Sin City. She points to ex-mayor Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was accompanied by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas currently lacks any traditional showgirl productions, the historian says they are still employed as an logo of the city, appearing at conventions and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a remaining symbol of Vegas spectacle,” she says.
An Allure of Illusion
The former showgirl says the magical transformation of a showgirl persona is part of the allure. It’s something Swift alludes to in a latest behind-the-scenes film that documents the backstage action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense rehearsals, training and numerous shows across 21 countries, each going on for 3.5 hours.
She describes her own showgirl performances as “similar to extreme physical exertion in stilettos every night”. Her feathered headdress weighed 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the steps to the stage from the green rooms three floors below in the underground. I had to head up ahead of time for my entrance so I could recover before I went on stage. You are working hard the whole time but creating this illusion that it’s simple and beautiful and dreamlike.”
Perhaps this is where the fascination of the showgirl really resides. In the chaos of 2025 there is a craving for escapism. Is there anyone better to turn to than such icons, who have always represented fantasy, idealism and a universe where nobody falters.
