After a long-running run on the Las Vegas Boulevard, the showgirls from the revue Jubilee! executed their last choreographed kick in 2016. The extravaganza, famous for its intricate costumes crafted by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, ended its run due to declining audience numbers and critical commentators who called it a spectacle “stuck in the past”.
Currently, nearly ten years later, showgirls, or at least the showgirl style, is making a comeback.
The Sultan of Sequins
Dubbed the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made theatrical showgirl glitz his signature style, outfitting everyone from screen legends to pop royalty. Earlier this month, a “barely-there” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, seven times its estimated price, while a shimmering beaded bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie designed 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 seeking something other than what they were accustomed to”, he told a media outlet. “New stars are striving for a theatrical, more spectacular, breathtaking, entrance-making statement.”
The Musical Comeback
It’s a look that made its way all the way to the centre of mainstream fashion in 2025 propelled by a global pop icon. Recently, 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 perfect for a record named The Life of a Showgirl.
She is part of a trend. This year, showgirl references have been embraced by pop stars including Miley Cyrus as they danced across concert platforms in sparkles, revealing designs and ostrich feathers, spotlighted against camp sets. A top stylist a fashion expert told Vogue he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the mid-century, her performers fluttered giant ostrich feather fans.
Drawing from History
These artists and other successful musicians also reference classic performances, including vaudeville and ensemble references. The outcome are poles apart from the late-century Britney Spears era of short shirts and utilitarian trousers, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that came before them.
But certain observers are convinced with this showgirl renaissance. An ex-showgirl, a former Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the early 2000s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word term is being “treated as an broad label covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently Taylor Swift.”
A Coveted Classic Look
For gen Z and modern stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, Zendaya paid tribute to one of Mackie’s earliest clients, Cher, when the actress wore a see-through beaded dress made by the designer in 2001, which was reminiscent of one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, Miley Cyrus paid an undisclosed sum to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, Sabrina Carpenter wore a trio of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among fashion collectors.
“Showgirls evoke a sense of longing for a bygone era of glitz,” says an archivist, a curator at the University of Nevada, who documents the story of showgirls. “Now it is viewed as a sort of ‘toned-down’ allure because it has been modified. It has got all the glamour, the rhinestones and the shine but without the nudity.”
A Than Simply Style: An Icon of the City
The expert says this figure are integral to the imagery of Las Vegas. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was accompanied by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas currently lacks any showgirl-based productions, the historian says they are still used as an emblem of the city, being present at conventions and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a enduring symbol of Vegas spectacle,” the expert says.
An Appeal of Escape
Hardy says the transformative effect of a showgirl persona is part of the appeal. This is a notion the singer alludes to in a new documentary series that shows the backstage action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling practice sessions, gym sessions and countless concerts across multiple nations, each lasting 3.5 hours.
She explains her own stage routines as “comparable to extreme physical exertion in high heels every night”. Her feathered headdress was 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the staircase to the performance area from the green rooms three floors below in the underground. I had to start early for my cue so I could rest before I went on stage. One is perspiring the whole time but maintaining this fantasy that it’s simple and beautiful and magical.”
Perhaps this is where the true allure of the showgirl really resides. In the chaos of 2025 there is a craving for escapism. Is there anyone better to emulate than these performers, who have always embodied make-believe, perfection and a world where no one makes a mistake.
