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Following a three-decade tenure on the Las Vegas strip, the performers from the production Jubilee! gave one last perfectly timed kick in 2016. The extravaganza, famous for its ornate costumes created by style icon Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to falling audience numbers and critical commentators who labeled it a spectacle “trapped in time”.

Now, almost a decade later, showgirls, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is back.

A Sultan of Sparkle

Known as the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made dramatic showgirl glamour his signature style, clothing everyone from screen legends to pop royalty. Recently, a “naked” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, seven times its initial estimate, while a shimmering tasseled bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie designed for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more enticing for the younger performer who is desiring something other than what they were accustomed to”, he told a newspaper. “Contemporary performers are pushing toward a show-stopping, more spectacular, breathtaking, memorable statement.”

The Musical Comeback

It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the centre of popular culture in 2025 largely due to a global pop icon. Earlier this year, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s classic Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The bedazzled bra and thong, feathered armbands and shimmering headpiece were ideal for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift isn't alone. This year, glamorous nods have been incorporated by music artists including Dua Lipa as they whizzed across world tours in sparkles, cut-outs and plumes, spotlighted against theatrical sets. Lipa’s stylist Lorenzo Posocco explained to a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a showgirl attitude” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the 50s, the backup dancers waved giant feathered fans.

Pulling from the Past

Modern stars and other hitmakers also draw on classic performances, including vaudeville and ensemble references. The final look are vastly different from the 1990s era teen pop of revealing tops and baggy pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that preceded this trend.

But certain observers are on board with this showgirl renaissance. Nancy Hardy, a former Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the 00s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “employed as an catch-all phrase covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently modern pop stars.”

A Highly Sought-After Vintage Look

For younger and modern stars, Mackie’s classic 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 sequined dress made by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he designed 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 collection of vintage Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among collectors.

“Showgirls evoke nostalgia for a past glamour,” says an archivist, an expert at the an academic institution, who researches the history of showgirls. “Now it is seen as a sort of ‘safe’ allure because it has been updated. It has got all the sophistication, the crystals and the glitter but without the nudity.”

A Than Just Fashion: An Icon of Las Vegas

She says the showgirl image are integral to the identity of Sin City. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was flanked by two showgirls. While Las Vegas no longer has any showgirl-based productions, Chung says they are still featured as an logo of the city, being present at corporate events and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a remaining figure of Las Vegas glamour,” Chung says.

An Appeal of Transformation

The former showgirl says the magical transformation of a stage character is part of the allure. This is a notion the singer references in a recent docuseries that captures the behind-the-scenes action from her year-long 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling practice sessions, gym sessions and 149 shows across dozens of cities, each running for 3.5 hours.

The performer describes her own nights in the spotlight as “similar to extreme physical exertion in high heels every night”. Her headpiece weighed 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the stairs to the performance area from the dressing rooms three floors below in the lower level. I had to start early for my entrance so I could recover before I performed. You’re perspiring the whole time but maintaining this image that it’s simple and gorgeous and magical.”

Perhaps this is where the fascination of the showgirl really resides. In the chaos of 2025 there is a craving for fantasy. What better figure to look to than such icons, who have always personified fantasy, flawlessness and a universe where no one makes a mistake.