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Following a three-decade run on the Las Vegas Boulevard, the performers from the spectacle Jubilee! executed their last perfectly timed kick in 2016. The production, famous for its elaborate costumes created by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, came to an end due to falling audience numbers and unimpressed commentators who labeled it a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

Now, roughly eight years later, the showgirl, or at least the glamorous showgirl look, is experiencing a revival.

The King of Sparkle

Referred to as the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made theatrical stage sparkle his trademark look, outfitting everyone from screen legends to pop royalty. In a recent auction, a “barely-there” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, well over its initial estimate, while a silver and gold beaded bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“I believe it looks more attractive for the emerging artists who is desiring something other than what they were accustomed to”, he explained to a media outlet. “Today's artists are striving for a show-stopping, more dramatic, show-stopping, memorable statement.”

A Pop Culture Revival

It’s a look that glided all the way to the heart of popular culture in 2025 propelled by a chart-topping superstar. Earlier this year, the entertainment titan 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 tailor-made for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift has company. This year, showgirl inspirations have been incorporated by pop stars including Miley Cyrus as they whizzed across world tours in glitter, cut-outs and ostrich feathers, illuminated against theatrical sets. Lipa’s stylist a fashion expert mentioned in an interview with Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the 1950s, Lipa’s dancers wafted giant plumed accessories.

Pulling from the Past

Modern stars and other successful musicians also reference classic performances, including vaudeville and dance line references. The results are worlds away from the 90s teen pop of short shirts and utilitarian trousers, and urban dance moves that preceded this trend.

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

The Highly Sought-After Vintage Look

For millennial and modern stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, a style icon honored to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the star wore a semi-sheer sequined dress made by the designer in 2001, which was similar to 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 at an awards show to perform at the Grammys. In September, Carpenter wore a series of vintage Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among collectors.

“This style bring about a sense of longing for a historical elegance,” says a historian, an expert at the an academic institution, who studies the story of showgirls. “Today it is considered a sort of ‘toned-down’ sexy because it has been modified. It has got all the elegance, the crystals and the glitter but without the exposure.”

More Than Just Style: An Icon of Vegas

The expert says this figure are integral to the imagery of Vegas. She points to ex-mayor Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was surrounded by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas no longer has any showgirl-centric productions, the historian says they are still featured as an logo of the city, being present at gatherings and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a lasting icon of Vegas glamour,” the expert says.

An Allure of Escape

The former showgirl says the transformative effect of a showgirl is part of the attraction. It’s something Taylor Swift references in a latest documentary series that captures the backstage action from her year-long 2023 Eras tour, which included intense practice sessions, workouts and 149 shows across multiple nations, each going on for 3.5 hours.

The performer describes her own showgirl performances as “comparable to extreme physical exertion in high heels every night”. Her headpiece was 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the steps to the performance area from the green rooms three floors below in the basement. I had to leave early for my entrance so I could catch my breath before I made my entrance. You are working hard the whole time but maintaining this image that it’s simple and gorgeous and magical.”

Maybe this is where the fascination of the showgirl really is found. In the chaos of 2025 there is a craving for a break from reality. What better figure to look to than showgirls, who have always represented fantasy, idealism and a universe where nobody makes a mistake.