Following a three-decade stint on the Las Vegas strip, the dancers from the revue Jubilee! took a final perfectly timed kick in 2016. The show, renowned for its intricate costumes crafted by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, ended its run due to dwindling audience numbers and critical commentators who called it a spectacle “stuck in the past”.
Currently, almost a decade later, the showgirl, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is making a comeback.
The King of Glitz
Referred to as the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made over-the-top showgirl glitz his signature style, outfitting everyone from screen legends to Madonna. Earlier this month, a “naked” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, far exceeding its projected value, while a shimmering beaded bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200.
“I believe it looks more appealing for the younger performer who is looking for something other than what they grew up with”, he told a newspaper. “Today's artists are striving for a show-stopping, more theatrical, attention-grabbing, memorable statement.”
The Pop Culture Comeback
It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the centre of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 largely due to a global pop icon. Earlier this year, the entertainment titan wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her new musical project. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, feathered armbands and glittering headpiece were ideal for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.
The singer isn't alone. This year, glamorous nods have been embraced by singers including Sabrina Carpenter as they danced across concert platforms in sequins, strategic openings and ostrich feathers, highlighted against camp sets. Lipa’s stylist a fashion expert mentioned in an interview with a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the 50s, the backup dancers wafted giant plumed accessories.
Drawing from the Past
Modern stars and other successful musicians also reference classic performances, including burlesque and ensemble references. The final look are poles apart from the late-century teen pop of revealing tops and utilitarian trousers, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that came before them.
But some critics are convinced with this showgirl renaissance. A former performer, a former Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the early 2000s says the trend is “bemusing”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “treated as an catch-all phrase covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even today's icons.”
The Coveted Vintage Look
For millennial and young adult stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become highly covetable. In 2024, a famous actress gave a nod to one of Mackie’s iconic muses, Cher, when the actress wore a semi-sheer embellished dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, a singer paid an significant price to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, Sabrina Carpenter wore a collection of vintage Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among vintage enthusiasts.
“Showgirls bring about fond memories for a historical elegance,” says an archivist, an expert at the University of Nevada, who researches the history of showgirls. “Now it is considered a sort of ‘acceptable’ sexy because it has been updated. It has got all the glamour, the sparkles and the shine but without the exposure.”
A Than Just Style: An Icon of the City
The expert says this figure are integral to the iconography of Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was surrounded by two showgirls. While Las Vegas currently lacks any showgirl-based productions, the historian says they are still employed as an emblem of the city, being present at conventions and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a lasting figure of Vegas spectacle,” the expert says.
An Appeal of Illusion
The former showgirl says the magical transformation of a showgirl is part of the attraction. It’s something Taylor Swift references in a recent documentary series that shows the off-camera action from her year-long 2023 Eras tour, which included exhausting rehearsals, workouts and countless shows across dozens of cities, each running for 3.5 hours.
Hardy explains her own nights in the spotlight as “similar to extreme physical exertion in stilettos every night”. Her headdress was 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 leave early for my moment so I could catch my breath before I went on stage. You’re working hard the whole time but maintaining this fantasy that it’s simple and stunning and magical.”
Perhaps this is where the fascination of the showgirl really lies. In the busyness of 2025 there is a desire for fantasy. Is there anyone better to turn to than such icons, who have always represented dreams, idealism and a realm where no one misses a mark.
