🔗 Share this article How 'Showgirl' Became the Glittering Look of the New Year After a three-decade run on the Las Vegas strip, the showgirls from the revue Jubilee! executed their last synchronised kick in 2016. The extravaganza, known for its ornate costumes designed by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to falling audience numbers and disappointed commentators who described it as a spectacle “a relic of another era”. Currently, nearly ten years later, the showgirl persona, or at least the showgirl style, is back. A Master of Glitz Dubbed the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made dramatic showgirl glamour his defining aesthetic, dressing everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Madonna. Earlier this month, a “see-through” bodysuit he made for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, seven times its initial estimate, while a metallic beaded bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 concert sold for $19,200. “I think it looks more appealing for the new generation of stars who is seeking something other than what they grew up with”, he explained to a newspaper. “New stars are embracing a theatrical, more spectacular, attention-grabbing, entrance-making statement.” A Pop Culture Resurgence It’s a look that glided all the way to the heart of popular culture in 2025 propelled by Taylor Swift. In the past few months, the cultural juggernaut wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, plumed armbands and sparkly headpiece were tailor-made for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl. Swift has company. This year, showgirl references have been incorporated by pop stars including Miley Cyrus as they danced across arena stages in glitter, revealing designs and ostrich feathers, spotlighted against camp sets. Her fashion curator her creative director told a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a stage persona” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the mid-century, Lipa’s dancers fluttered giant plumed accessories. Pulling from History These artists and other successful musicians also draw on 19th-century entertainment forms, including vaudeville and chorus line references. The outcome are vastly different from the late-century teen pop of short shirts and cargo pants, and urban dance moves that preceded this trend. But not everyone are enthusiastic with this glamour resurgence. A former performer, a former Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the early 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “treated as an umbrella term encompassing everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even Taylor Swift.” The Coveted Classic Look For younger and millennial stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become highly covetable. In 2024, Zendaya honored to one of Mackie’s earliest clients, Cher, when the actress wore a translucent embellished dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, another pop star paid an significant price to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, the singer wore a trio of retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among fashion collectors. “Showgirls bring about fond memories for a past glamour,” says a historian, a curator at the an academic institution, who studies the history of showgirls. “Currently it is seen as a sort of ‘toned-down’ allure because it has been modified. It has got all the glamour, the sparkles and the sparkle but without the bare skin.” A Than Just Style: An Icon of the City She says this figure are integral to the imagery of Vegas. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was surrounded by two showgirls. While Las Vegas no longer has any traditional showgirl productions, the historian says they are still featured as an logo of the city, showing up at conventions and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a enduring icon of Las Vegas glitz and glamour,” the expert says. An Allure of Transformation Nancy Hardy says the transformative effect of a stage character is part of the attraction. This idea the singer alludes to in a latest docuseries that captures the backstage action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense rehearsals, training and countless shows across dozens of cities, each running for 3.5 hours. The performer recalls her own nights in the spotlight as “similar to running a marathon in high heels every night”. Her feathered headdress weighed 34lbs. “I had to support it all the way up the stairs to the platform from the green rooms three floors below in the basement. I had to leave early for my cue so I could catch my breath before I made my entrance. You’re sweating the whole time but maintaining this image that it’s effortless and stunning and magical.” Perhaps this is where the fascination of the showgirl fantasy really lies. In the busyness of 2025 there is a craving for escapism. Who better to look to than such icons, who have always embodied dreams, flawlessness and a realm where no one falters.