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Following a long-running tenure on the Las Vegas strip, the showgirls from the revue Jubilee! executed their last synchronised kick in 2016. The extravaganza, renowned for its ornate costumes crafted by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, came to an end due to declining audience numbers and unimpressed reviewers who called it a spectacle “trapped in time”.

Today, almost a decade later, the showgirl persona, or at least the showgirl style, is back.

A Master of Sparkle

Referred to as the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made dramatic showgirl glitz his trademark look, dressing everyone from screen legends to Madonna. Earlier this month, a “barely-there” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, far exceeding its estimated price, while a metallic beaded bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 concert sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more attractive for the emerging artists who is desiring something other than what they grew up with”, he explained to a newspaper. “Contemporary performers are embracing a glamorous, more spectacular, breathtaking, grand statement.”

The Pop Culture Resurgence

It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the heart of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 propelled by a chart-topping superstar. Earlier this year, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s classic Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, feathered armbands and sparkly headpiece were perfect for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.

The singer is part of a trend. This year, showgirl references have been embraced by music artists including Dua Lipa as they danced across concert platforms in sequins, strategic openings and ostrich feathers, highlighted against camp sets. Lipa’s stylist her creative director told a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a showgirl attitude” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the 50s, her performers waved giant ostrich feather fans.

Drawing from the Past

These artists and other hitmakers also reference 19th-century entertainment forms, including vaudeville and chorus line references. The outcome are poles apart from the 90s pop style of crop tops and utilitarian trousers, and street-style dance moves that preceded this trend.

But certain observers are convinced with this showgirl revival. A former performer, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the early 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “used as an broad label including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even modern pop stars.”

The Coveted Vintage Look

For gen Z and young adult stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, Zendaya gave a nod to one of Mackie’s earliest clients, Cher, when the star wore a semi-sheer beaded dress made by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, a singer paid an undisclosed sum to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, Sabrina Carpenter wore a trio of vintage Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among fashion collectors.

“This style inspire nostalgia for a bygone era of glitz,” says a historian, head of special collections at the University of Nevada, who documents the story of showgirls. “Today it is seen as a sort of ‘safe’ appeal because it has been adapted. It has got all the glamour, the crystals and the shine but without the exposure.”

A Than Simply Fashion: An Symbol of Vegas

Chung says the showgirl image are integral to the imagery of Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was surrounded by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas does not host any traditional showgirl productions, Chung says they are still used as an emblem of the city, being present at gatherings and in promotional material. “The showgirl is still a lasting figure of Las Vegas glitz and glamour,” the expert says.

An Allure of Illusion

The former showgirl says the transformative effect of a showgirl is part of the attraction. It’s something Swift hints at in a latest documentary series that shows the off-camera action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense rehearsals, gym sessions and 149 shows across 21 countries, each lasting 3.5 hours.

Hardy recalls her own showgirl performances as “similar to running a marathon in stilettos every night”. Her headdress weighed 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the stairs to the stage from the dressing rooms three floors below in the underground. I had to start early for my cue so I could catch my breath before I performed. One is working hard the whole time but maintaining this fantasy that it’s effortless and gorgeous and ethereal.”

Maybe this is where the true allure of the showgirl fantasy really lies. In the chaos of 2025 there is a desire for fantasy. Who better to look to than these performers, who have always personified dreams, idealism and a universe where nobody makes a mistake.