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Following a long-running stint on the Las Vegas strip, the showgirls from the production Jubilee! gave one last choreographed kick in 2016. The production, famous for its elaborate costumes crafted by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to declining audience numbers and unimpressed critics who labeled it a spectacle “stuck in the past”.

Currently, almost a decade later, the showgirl persona, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is making a comeback.

A King of Sequins

Referred to as the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made dramatic stage sparkle his defining aesthetic, dressing everyone from Hollywood icons to pop royalty. In a recent auction, a “see-through” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, well over its projected value, while a silver and gold fringed bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more appealing for the emerging artists who is seeking something other than what they were accustomed to”, he told a publication. “New stars are striving for a theatrical, more spectacular, show-stopping, grand statement.”

The Musical Comeback

It’s a look that glided all the way to the centre of popular culture in 2025 propelled by Taylor Swift. Earlier this year, the entertainment titan wore one of Mackie’s original 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 called The Life of a Showgirl.

She is part of a trend. This year, showgirl references have been embraced by music artists including Dua Lipa as they whizzed across concert platforms in glitter, revealing designs and plumes, illuminated against theatrical sets. Her fashion curator her creative director mentioned in an interview with a style publication he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the mid-century, Lipa’s dancers fluttered giant plumed accessories.

Pulling from the Past

Lipa, Carpenter and other chart toppers also take inspiration from classic entertainment forms, including classic theater and ensemble references. The outcome are worlds away from the 1990s era Britney Spears era of crop tops and utilitarian trousers, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that preceded this trend.

But certain observers are on board with this showgirl revival. A former performer, a former Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the 2000s says the trend is “bemusing”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “used as an catch-all phrase encompassing everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently modern pop stars.”

The Coveted Vintage Look

For gen Z and modern stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, Zendaya gave a nod to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actress wore a see-through sequined dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, another pop star paid an private amount to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn at an awards show to perform at the Grammys. In September, Sabrina Carpenter wore a series of retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among vintage enthusiasts.

“This style bring about fond memories for a historical elegance,” says Su Kim Chung, head of special collections at the University of Nevada, who documents the legacy of showgirls. “Today it is seen as a sort of ‘toned-down’ appeal because it has been updated. It has got all the elegance, the sparkles and the shine but without the exposure.”

A Than Simply Fashion: An Symbol of the City

The expert says this figure are integral to the iconography of Sin City. She points to ex-mayor Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was accompanied by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas does not host any showgirl-centric productions, Jung says they are still employed as an symbol of the city, appearing at conventions and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a remaining symbol of Las Vegas glitz and glamour,” Chung says.

The Allure of Illusion

The former showgirl says the transformative effect of a showgirl is part of the appeal. It’s something Taylor Swift alludes to in a latest documentary series that documents the backstage action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense practice sessions, training and numerous shows across dozens of cities, each running for 3.5 hours.

Hardy explains her own stage routines as “similar to completing an endurance race in heels every night”. Her headpiece weighed 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the steps to the platform from the dressing rooms three floors below in the underground. I had to head up ahead of time for my entrance so I could rest before I made my entrance. One is perspiring the whole time but maintaining this fantasy that it’s effortless and beautiful and dreamlike.”

It could be this is where the fascination of the showgirl really lies. In the busyness of 2025 there is a craving for escapism. Is there anyone better to emulate than such icons, who have always embodied fantasy, flawlessness and a universe where nobody makes a mistake.