Following a 31-year tenure on the iconic Vegas strip, the dancers from the production Jubilee! executed their last synchronised kick in 2016. The show, known for its ornate costumes designed by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to dwindling audience numbers and critical commentators who called it a spectacle “a relic of another era”.
Currently, almost a decade later, the showgirl, or at least the glamorous showgirl look, is back.
The Master of Sparkle
Referred to as the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made over-the-top showgirl glamour his trademark look, outfitting everyone from Hollywood icons to Madonna. Recently, a “barely-there” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, well over its initial estimate, while a shimmering tasseled bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie designed for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.
“I believe it looks more enticing for the younger performer who is looking for something other than what they grew up with”, he explained to a media outlet. “Today's artists are pushing toward a glamorous, more spectacular, attention-grabbing, grand statement.”
A Pop Culture Resurgence
It’s a look that made its way all the way to the heart of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 largely due to a chart-topping superstar. Recently, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s classic Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her new musical project. The crystal-covered bra and thong, feathered armbands and glittering headpiece were perfect for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.
The singer isn't alone. This year, showgirl inspirations have been embraced by music artists including Sabrina Carpenter as they whizzed across world tours in sequins, revealing designs and feathers, highlighted against theatrical sets. A top stylist Lorenzo Posocco mentioned in an interview with a style publication he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the mid-century, her performers fluttered giant ostrich feather fans.
Pulling from History
Modern stars and other hitmakers also take inspiration from 19th-century entertainment forms, including burlesque and dance line references. The results are poles apart from the 1990s era pop style of short shirts and cargo pants, and street-style dance moves that were popular earlier.
But some critics are convinced with this glamour resurgence. Nancy Hardy, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the early 2000s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word term is being “employed as an catch-all phrase including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now seemingly Taylor Swift.”
A Highly Sought-After Retro Look
For younger and millennial stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, a style icon honored to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actress wore a translucent embellished dress created by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Later that year, Miley Cyrus paid an private amount to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, the singer wore a trio of retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among vintage enthusiasts.
“Showgirls evoke fond memories for a bygone era of glitz,” says an archivist, head of special collections at the University of Nevada, who researches the history of showgirls. “Now it is considered a sort of ‘safe’ allure because it has been updated. It has got all the elegance, the sparkles and the sparkle but without the exposure.”
More Than Simply Style: An Icon of Vegas
Chung says showgirls are central to the imagery of Las Vegas. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was accompanied by two showgirls. While Las Vegas currently lacks any showgirl-based productions, Jung says they are still used as an emblem of the city, showing up at conventions and in promotional material. “The showgirl is still a remaining icon of Las Vegas glitz and glamour,” Chung says.
An Appeal of Transformation
Hardy says the complete change of a stage character is part of the appeal. It’s something the singer alludes to in a latest documentary series that documents the backstage action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense practice sessions, workouts and numerous shows across 21 countries, each lasting 3.5 hours.
The performer describes her own nights in the spotlight as “like running a marathon in heels every night”. Her headdress tipped the scales at 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the stairs to the performance area from the green rooms three floors below in the lower level. I had to start early for my entrance so I could catch my breath before I went on stage. One is working hard the whole time but maintaining this image that it’s simple and stunning and ethereal.”
Maybe this is where the appeal of the showgirl really resides. In the complexity of 2025 there is a longing for fantasy. What better figure to emulate than these performers, who have always represented dreams, flawlessness and a realm where no one makes a mistake.
