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Following a long-running stint on the iconic Vegas strip, the performers from the production Jubilee! gave one last choreographed kick in 2016. The production, renowned for its elaborate costumes created by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, came to an end due to declining audience numbers and unimpressed reviewers who described it as a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

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

The Sultan of Sparkle

Dubbed the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made theatrical showgirl glitz his trademark look, outfitting everyone from screen legends to Madonna. In a recent auction, a “barely-there” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, far exceeding its projected value, while a metallic beaded bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more attractive for the new generation of stars who is desiring something other than what they knew from childhood”, he stated in an interview with a media outlet. “Contemporary performers are embracing a theatrical, more theatrical, attention-grabbing, grand statement.”

The Pop Culture Comeback

It’s a look that made its way 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 classic Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her new musical project. The bedazzled bra and thong, plumed armbands and sparkly headpiece were perfect for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.

The singer isn't alone. This year, showgirl references have been embraced by singers including Miley Cyrus as they danced across world tours in sequins, strategic openings and feathers, highlighted against camp sets. Lipa’s stylist Lorenzo Posocco explained to a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a showgirl attitude” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the 1950s, Lipa’s dancers fluttered giant ostrich feather fans.

Pulling from the Past

Lipa, Carpenter and other chart toppers also draw on historical performances, including burlesque and dance line references. The outcome are vastly different from the 1990s era teen pop of revealing tops and cargo pants, and street-style dance moves that preceded this trend.

But certain observers are enthusiastic with this showgirl revival. An ex-showgirl, a former Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the 00s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “employed as an broad label including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even modern pop stars.”

The Coveted Classic Style

For gen Z and modern stars, Mackie’s vintage designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, Zendaya paid tribute to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actor wore a see-through beaded dress created by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he designed for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, Miley Cyrus paid an private amount to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn at an awards show to perform at the Grammys. In September, Carpenter wore a series of vintage Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among collectors.

“This style evoke a sense of longing for a bygone era of glitz,” says Su Kim Chung, a curator at the University of Nevada, who studies the history of showgirls. “Now it is seen as a sort of ‘safe’ sexy because it has been adapted. It has got all the glamour, the crystals and the shine but without the nudity.”

More Than Simply Style: An Symbol of Vegas

Chung says this figure are central to the identity of Sin City. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was flanked by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas currently lacks any showgirl-based productions, Jung says they are still used as an emblem of the city, being present at gatherings and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a lasting icon of Vegas spectacle,” Chung says.

An Appeal of Escape

Hardy says the magical transformation of a stage character is part of the attraction. This is a notion Taylor Swift references in a new docuseries that documents the backstage action from her year-long 2023 Eras tour, which included intense rehearsals, training and countless shows across multiple nations, each running for 3.5 hours.

Hardy explains her own nights in the spotlight as “like completing an endurance race in high heels every night”. Her headdress weighed 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the stairs to the stage from the backstage area three floors below in the lower level. I had to head up ahead of time for my moment so I could catch my breath before I performed. You are perspiring the whole time but maintaining this image that it’s effortless and beautiful and ethereal.”

Perhaps this is where the true allure of the showgirl fantasy really is found. In the chaos of 2025 there is a longing for escapism. Is there anyone better to look to than showgirls, who have always represented dreams, flawlessness and a world where no one misses a mark.