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Following a long-running run on the iconic Vegas strip, the performers from the spectacle Jubilee! gave one last synchronised kick in 2016. The production, renowned for its ornate costumes created by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, ended its run due to falling audience numbers and critical commentators who called it a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

Today, almost a decade later, the showgirl persona, or at least the glamorous showgirl look, is experiencing a revival.

The Sultan of Sparkle

Referred to as the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made dramatic stage sparkle his trademark look, outfitting everyone from Hollywood icons to Madonna. Earlier this month, a “naked” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, well over its projected value, while a shimmering tasseled bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie designed for Tina Turner for a 1977 concert sold for $19,200.

“I believe it looks more attractive for the new generation of stars who is seeking something other than what they were accustomed to”, he told a publication. “Contemporary performers are embracing a show-stopping, more theatrical, breathtaking, entrance-making statement.”

A Mainstream Revival

It’s a look that made its way all the way to the epicenter of mainstream fashion in 2025 largely due to Taylor Swift. 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, feathered armbands and glittering headpiece were perfect for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.

She is part of a trend. This year, showgirl references have been embraced by music artists including Dua Lipa as they zoomed across world tours in sequins, revealing designs and feathers, spotlighted against theatrical sets. Her fashion curator her creative director mentioned in an interview with a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the 50s, Lipa’s dancers fluttered giant ostrich feather fans.

Drawing from the Past

Modern stars and other successful musicians also draw on historical performances, including classic theater and ensemble references. The outcome are worlds away from the 1990s era teen pop of short shirts and baggy pants, and urban dance moves that were popular earlier.

But not everyone are enthusiastic with this showgirl renaissance. A former performer, a former Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “used as an catch-all phrase encompassing everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently modern pop stars.”

A Highly Sought-After Vintage Look

For gen Z and modern stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become highly covetable. In 2024, a style icon paid tribute to one of Mackie’s iconic muses, Cher, when the actor wore a see-through embellished dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, another pop star paid an private amount to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn at an awards show 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 favorite among fashion collectors.

“The showgirl aesthetic bring about a sense of longing for a historical elegance,” says a historian, head of special collections at the University of Nevada, who researches the history of showgirls. “Now it is considered a sort of ‘safe’ sexy because it has been adapted. It has got all the elegance, the rhinestones and the glitter but without the bare skin.”

A Than Simply Fashion: An Symbol of Vegas

She says showgirls are key to the iconography of Las Vegas. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was surrounded by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas no longer has any showgirl-based productions, Jung says they are still used as an logo of the city, appearing at conventions and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a remaining icon of Vegas glamour,” the expert says.

An Allure of Escape

The former showgirl says the complete change of a stage character is part of the attraction. It’s something Taylor Swift hints at in a latest behind-the-scenes film that documents the backstage action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense practice sessions, gym sessions and countless concerts across 21 countries, each lasting 3.5 hours.

The performer recalls her own showgirl performances as “like running a marathon in stilettos every night”. Her headdress weighed 34lbs. “I had to support it all the way up the staircase to the platform from the green rooms three floors below in the lower level. I had to start early for my moment so I could rest before I performed. You are working hard the whole time but crafting this image that it’s effortless and gorgeous and ethereal.”

Perhaps this is where the fascination of the showgirl fantasy really resides. In the busyness of 2025 there is a craving for escapism. Who better to turn to than showgirls, who have always represented dreams, perfection and a universe where no one misses a mark.