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Following a long-running stint on the iconic Vegas strip, the performers from the production Jubilee! took a final choreographed kick in 2016. The extravaganza, known for its elaborate costumes created by style icon Bob Mackie, ended its run due to declining audience numbers and unimpressed commentators who described it as a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

Today, almost a decade later, the showgirl, or at least the showgirl style, is making a comeback.

The Sultan of Sparkle

Referred to as the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made over-the-top showgirl glamour his signature style, dressing everyone from Hollywood icons to pop royalty. Earlier this month, a “barely-there” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, well over its initial estimate, while a silver and gold fringed bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200.

“I believe it looks more enticing for the younger performer who is seeking something other than what they grew up with”, he explained to a newspaper. “New stars are pushing toward a glamorous, more theatrical, attention-grabbing, entrance-making statement.”

A Mainstream Comeback

It’s a look that glided all the way to the centre of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 largely due to a chart-topping superstar. In the past few months, the entertainment titan wore one of Mackie’s classic Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The crystal-covered bra and thong, ostrich-feather armbands and sparkly headpiece were tailor-made for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.

She has company. This year, showgirl references have been embraced by music artists including Dua Lipa as they whizzed across concert platforms in sequins, strategic openings and plumes, spotlighted against theatrical sets. A top stylist her creative director told a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the 50s, her performers wafted giant ostrich feather fans.

Pulling from the Past

These artists and other successful musicians also draw on historical performances, including burlesque and dance line references. The outcome are worlds away from the 90s Britney Spears era of short shirts and baggy pants, and street-style dance moves that came before them.

But some critics are convinced with this showgirl revival. A former performer, a one-time Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the 00s says the trend is “bemusing”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “treated as an catch-all phrase including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently modern pop stars.”

A Highly Sought-After Classic Style

For gen Z and millennial stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, a famous actress honored to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actress wore a translucent beaded dress created by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, Miley Cyrus paid an undisclosed sum to buy the Mackie beaded mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, Carpenter wore a series of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among collectors.

“This style inspire a sense of longing for a past glamour,” says Su Kim Chung, head of special collections at the an academic institution, who researches the legacy of showgirls. “Currently it is considered a sort of ‘safe’ appeal because it has been updated. It has got all the sophistication, the sparkles and the glitter but without the nudity.”

A Than Simply Fashion: An Symbol of Las Vegas

The expert says showgirls are central to the iconography of Sin City. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was accompanied by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas no longer has any showgirl-based productions, Chung says they are still employed as an symbol of the city, showing up at conventions and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a remaining symbol of Las Vegas glitz and glamour,” the expert says.

The Allure of Illusion

Nancy Hardy says the magical transformation of a showgirl is part of the appeal. This idea Taylor Swift alludes to in a recent docuseries that documents the behind-the-scenes action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling practice sessions, training and countless performances across dozens of cities, each running for 3.5 hours.

Hardy describes her own nights in the spotlight as “like running a marathon in high heels every night”. Her headpiece tipped the scales at 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the steps to the stage from the backstage area three floors below in the underground. I had to head up ahead of time for my cue so I could catch my breath before I performed. You are working hard the whole time but crafting this illusion that it’s easy and stunning and magical.”

Maybe this is where the true allure of the showgirl really is found. In the complexity of 2025 there is a longing for fantasy. Who better to turn to than these performers, who have always personified fantasy, idealism and a realm where nobody makes a mistake.