How 'Showgirl' Transformed into the Glittering Aesthetic of the New Year

After a 31-year stint on the iconic Vegas strip, the showgirls from the revue Jubilee! executed their last choreographed kick in 2016. The production, famous for its intricate costumes created by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, ended its run due to dwindling audience numbers and unimpressed critics who described it as a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

Now, nearly ten years later, showgirls, or at least the glamorous showgirl look, is experiencing a revival.

The King of Sequins

Dubbed the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made theatrical stage sparkle his trademark look, dressing everyone from screen legends to Madonna. In a recent auction, a “see-through” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, seven times its initial estimate, while a silver and gold beaded bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“I think it looks more enticing for the younger performer who is looking for something other than what they grew up with”, he explained to a publication. “New stars are striving for a glamorous, more dramatic, attention-grabbing, grand statement.”

A Mainstream Resurgence

It’s a look that glided all the way to the epicenter of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 largely due to a chart-topping superstar. Recently, the entertainment titan wore one of Mackie’s classic Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The crystal-covered bra and thong, ostrich-feather armbands and glittering headpiece were ideal for a record called The Life of a Showgirl.

She is part of a trend. This year, showgirl references have been adopted by pop stars including Miley Cyrus as they zoomed across concert platforms in sparkles, revealing designs and ostrich feathers, spotlighted against camp sets. A top stylist a fashion expert mentioned in an interview with Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – drawing from pictures from the 1950s, the backup dancers waved giant feathered fans.

Pulling from History

Modern stars and other chart toppers also draw on historical performances, including classic theater and ensemble references. The final look are vastly different from the 90s pop style of revealing tops and cargo pants, and urban dance moves that came before them.

But some critics are on board with this glamour resurgence. Nancy Hardy, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word term is being “used as an broad label covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently modern pop stars.”

A Coveted Retro Look

For younger and young adult stars, Mackie’s vintage designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, Zendaya paid tribute to one of Mackie’s iconic muses, Cher, when the star wore a semi-sheer sequined dress made by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he designed for Cher to wear in 1967. Later that year, a singer paid an significant price to buy the Mackie tasseled mini dress she had worn previously 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 collectors.

“This style bring about nostalgia for a past glamour,” says Su Kim Chung, an expert at the University of Nevada, who documents the legacy of showgirls. “Currently it is considered a sort of ‘acceptable’ allure because it has been adapted. It has got all the sophistication, the rhinestones and the sparkle but without the bare skin.”

A Than Just Style: An Icon of Vegas

She says showgirls are integral to the iconography of Las Vegas. She points to ex-mayor Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was accompanied by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas does not host any showgirl-centric productions, Chung says they are still featured as an logo of the city, appearing at conventions and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a enduring icon of Vegas glamour,” she says.

An Appeal of Transformation

Hardy says the transformative effect of a stage character is part of the appeal. This idea Swift hints at in a latest behind-the-scenes film that shows the backstage action from her year-long 2023 Eras tour, which included intense rehearsals, gym sessions and numerous concerts across 21 countries, each running for 3.5 hours.

She recalls her own nights in the spotlight as “comparable to running a marathon in stilettos every night”. Her feathered headdress tipped the scales at 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the staircase to the platform from the green rooms three floors below in the lower level. I had to leave early for my moment so I could catch my breath before I performed. You’re perspiring the whole time but maintaining this illusion that it’s effortless and stunning and dreamlike.”

Maybe this is where the appeal of the showgirl really resides. In the busyness of 2025 there is a craving for a break from reality. What better figure to turn to than such icons, who have always embodied make-believe, perfection and a universe where no one makes a mistake.