After a three-decade tenure on the Las Vegas strip, the dancers from the revue Jubilee! executed their last synchronised kick in 2016. The show, renowned for its ornate costumes created by style icon Bob Mackie, came to an end due to declining audience numbers and disappointed critics who called it a spectacle “trapped in time”.
Now, almost a decade later, the showgirl persona, or at least the glamorous showgirl look, is experiencing a revival.
A Sultan of Sparkle
Dubbed the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made dramatic stage sparkle his defining aesthetic, outfitting everyone from screen legends to pop royalty. Earlier this month, a “see-through” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, well over its projected value, while a silver and gold tasseled bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.
“I think it looks more appealing for the new generation of stars who is looking for something other than what they grew up with”, he stated in an interview with a publication. “Today's artists are striving for a glamorous, more spectacular, show-stopping, memorable statement.”
A Mainstream Revival
It’s a look that made its way all the way to the heart of mainstream fashion in 2025 largely due to a chart-topping superstar. In the past few months, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her new musical project. The bedazzled bra and thong, feathered armbands and sparkly headpiece were perfect for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.
Swift isn't alone. This year, glamorous nods have been adopted by singers including Dua Lipa as they zoomed across world tours in sparkles, revealing designs and ostrich feathers, spotlighted against overstated sets. Her fashion curator a fashion expert explained to a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the 1950s, the backup dancers waved giant plumed accessories.
Pulling from the Past
These artists and other successful musicians also take inspiration from 19th-century performances, including vaudeville and chorus line references. The final look are vastly different from the late-century teen pop of revealing tops and cargo pants, and street-style dance moves that preceded this trend.
But some critics are convinced with this glamour resurgence. An ex-showgirl, a former Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the early 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “treated as an umbrella term including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even today's icons.”
The Coveted Retro Style
For gen Z and millennial stars, Mackie’s vintage designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, Zendaya gave a nod to one of Mackie’s earliest clients, Cher, when the actor wore a semi-sheer embellished dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Later that year, 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, the singer wore a trio of vintage Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among vintage enthusiasts.
“This style inspire a sense of longing for a historical elegance,” says an archivist, a curator at the an academic institution, who documents the history of showgirls. “Currently it is seen as a sort of ‘safe’ appeal because it has been modified. It has got all the elegance, the crystals and the sparkle but without the exposure.”
More Than Simply Fashion: An Icon of the City
The expert says the showgirl image are key to the identity of Las Vegas. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was accompanied by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas currently lacks any traditional showgirl productions, Jung says they are still employed as an emblem of the city, appearing at gatherings and in promotional material. “The showgirl is still a remaining symbol of Las Vegas spectacle,” she says.
The Appeal of Escape
The former showgirl says the magical transformation of a stage character is part of the allure. It’s something Taylor Swift references in a new docuseries that documents the off-camera action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense practice sessions, workouts and numerous shows across dozens of cities, each running for 3.5 hours.
The performer explains her own showgirl performances as “similar to running a marathon in heels every night”. Her headdress was 34lbs. “I had to support it all the way up the steps to the performance area from the backstage area three floors below in the basement. I had to leave early for my entrance so I could rest before I performed. You are working hard the whole time but creating this fantasy that it’s effortless and stunning and magical.”
Perhaps this is where the fascination of the showgirl really is found. In the complexity of 2025 there is a desire for fantasy. What better figure to emulate than these performers, who have always embodied dreams, flawlessness and a realm where nobody falters.
