🔗 Share this article

Following a long-running run on the iconic Vegas strip, the dancers from the revue Jubilee! gave one last synchronised kick in 2016. The production, renowned for its elaborate costumes crafted by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to declining audience numbers and disappointed critics who described it as a spectacle “trapped in time”.

Currently, almost a decade later, showgirls, or at least the showgirl style, is back.

The Sultan of Sparkle

Referred to as the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made dramatic stage sparkle his trademark look, dressing everyone from Marilyn Monroe to pop royalty. Recently, a “see-through” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, far exceeding its projected value, while a silver and gold fringed bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more enticing for the new generation of stars who is desiring something other than what they were accustomed to”, he told a media outlet. “Contemporary performers are embracing a glamorous, more dramatic, breathtaking, memorable statement.”

The Musical Comeback

It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the epicenter of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 propelled by a global pop icon. Earlier this year, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The crystal-covered bra and thong, plumed armbands and shimmering headpiece were ideal for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.

The singer has company. This year, showgirl inspirations have been adopted by singers including Sabrina Carpenter as they danced across world tours in sequins, cut-outs and ostrich feathers, highlighted against overstated sets. A top stylist Lorenzo Posocco mentioned in an interview with Vogue he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the 1950s, the backup dancers wafted giant ostrich feather fans.

Pulling from History

Modern stars and other chart toppers also draw on classic entertainment forms, including classic theater and dance line references. The results are poles apart from the 90s Britney Spears era of short shirts and baggy pants, and urban dance moves that preceded this trend.

But not everyone are convinced with this showgirl revival. An ex-showgirl, a former Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word term is being “treated as an catch-all phrase including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently today's icons.”

The Coveted Classic Style

For younger and modern stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, Zendaya gave a nod to one of Mackie’s iconic muses, Cher, when the actress wore a semi-sheer sequined dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Later that year, another pop star paid an significant price to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn at an awards show to perform at the Grammys. In September, the singer wore a collection of retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among collectors.

“The showgirl aesthetic bring about fond memories for a historical elegance,” says an archivist, a curator at the University of Nevada, who documents the history of showgirls. “Currently it is considered a sort of ‘toned-down’ appeal because it has been modified. It has got all the glamour, the sparkles and the sparkle but without the bare skin.”

More Than Just Fashion: An Icon of Las Vegas

She says the showgirl image are integral to the identity of Vegas. She points to ex-mayor Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was flanked by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas currently lacks any traditional showgirl productions, Chung says they are still used as an emblem of the city, being present at gatherings and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a enduring icon of Vegas glitz and glamour,” the expert says.

The Appeal of Illusion

The former showgirl says the transformative effect of a showgirl is part of the appeal. This is a notion the singer alludes to in a recent docuseries that shows the behind-the-scenes action from her year-long 2023 Eras tour, which included exhausting rehearsals, workouts and numerous performances across multiple nations, each running for 3.5 hours.

She recalls her own nights in the spotlight as “similar to running a marathon in high heels every night”. Her headpiece weighed 34lbs. “I had to support it all the way up the staircase to the performance area from the dressing rooms three floors below in the lower level. I had to head up ahead of time for my moment so I could recover before I went on stage. You’re perspiring the whole time but creating this illusion that it’s simple and beautiful and magical.”

It could be this is where the true allure of the showgirl really lies. In the busyness of 2025 there is a longing for escapism. What better figure to emulate than showgirls, who have always represented make-believe, idealism and a world where no one makes a mistake.