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After a three-decade run on the Las Vegas strip, the performers from the spectacle Jubilee! executed their last synchronised kick in 2016. The production, known for its intricate costumes designed by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, came to an end due to falling audience numbers and disappointed critics who described it as a spectacle “trapped in time”.

Currently, nearly ten years later, showgirls, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is back.

A Master of Sparkle

Referred to as the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made over-the-top stage sparkle his defining aesthetic, clothing everyone from Marilyn Monroe to pop royalty. In a recent auction, a “see-through” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, seven times its projected value, while a shimmering beaded bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more enticing for the emerging artists who is desiring something other than what they were accustomed to”, he stated in an interview with a newspaper. “New stars are striving for a glamorous, more spectacular, attention-grabbing, entrance-making statement.”

A Mainstream Revival

It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the epicenter of mainstream fashion in 2025 thanks to a global pop icon. Recently, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The bedazzled bra and thong, plumed armbands and shimmering headpiece were perfect for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift is part of a trend. This year, showgirl references have been embraced by music artists including Dua Lipa as they whizzed across world tours in glitter, strategic openings and plumes, spotlighted against overstated sets. A top stylist a fashion expert explained to Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the mid-century, her performers waved giant plumed accessories.

Drawing from Tradition

Modern stars and other successful musicians also take inspiration from historical entertainment forms, including burlesque and chorus line references. The results are poles apart from the 90s teen pop of short shirts and cargo pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that came before them.

But certain observers are enthusiastic with this showgirl renaissance. An ex-showgirl, a former Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the 00s says the trend is “bemusing”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “treated as an umbrella term encompassing everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now seemingly modern pop stars.”

The Coveted Retro Look

For gen Z and modern stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become highly covetable. In 2024, a famous actress gave a nod to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actor wore a semi-sheer beaded dress created by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, Miley Cyrus paid an significant price to buy the Mackie beaded mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, Carpenter wore a trio of retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among fashion collectors.

“The showgirl aesthetic evoke fond memories for a bygone era of glitz,” says Su Kim Chung, head of special collections at the University of Nevada, who documents the legacy of showgirls. “Currently it is viewed as a sort of ‘acceptable’ allure because it has been updated. It has got all the elegance, the crystals and the shine but without the nudity.”

A Than Simply Style: An Symbol of Vegas

She says the showgirl image are integral to the iconography of Las Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was surrounded by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas does not host any traditional showgirl productions, the historian says they are still featured as an logo of the city, being present at conventions and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a remaining symbol of Vegas glitz and glamour,” she says.

An Appeal of Escape

Hardy says the magical transformation of a showgirl is part of the appeal. This is a notion Taylor Swift hints at in a recent behind-the-scenes film that shows the behind-the-scenes action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense rehearsals, workouts and numerous concerts across dozens of cities, each lasting 3.5 hours.

Hardy recalls her own nights in the spotlight as “comparable to extreme physical exertion in heels every night”. Her feathered headdress tipped the scales at 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the staircase to the performance area from the dressing rooms three floors below in the basement. I had to head up ahead of time for my cue so I could recover before I went on stage. One is sweating the whole time but crafting this fantasy that it’s simple and gorgeous and dreamlike.”

Perhaps this is where the fascination of the showgirl really lies. In the busyness of 2025 there is a desire for escapism. Who better to look to than showgirls, who have always personified make-believe, flawlessness and a universe where nobody misses a mark.