How 'Showgirl Glamour' Transformed into the Glittering Look of the New Year

After a three-decade run on the Las Vegas Boulevard, the performers from the revue Jubilee! executed their last perfectly timed kick in 2016. The extravaganza, renowned for its ornate costumes designed by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to declining audience numbers and critical critics who described it as a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

Today, roughly eight years later, the showgirl, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is experiencing a revival.

The Sultan of Sequins

Referred to as the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made theatrical stage sparkle his signature style, clothing everyone from Marilyn Monroe to music superstars. Earlier this month, a “naked” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 commanded $57,600, seven times its estimated price, while a silver and gold fringed bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 show sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more attractive 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 show-stopping, more spectacular, show-stopping, grand statement.”

The Musical Revival

It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the heart of popular culture in 2025 largely due to a chart-topping superstar. Recently, the cultural juggernaut 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 incorporated by pop stars including Dua Lipa as they zoomed across concert platforms in sparkles, revealing designs and feathers, spotlighted against camp sets. Her fashion curator Lorenzo Posocco mentioned in an interview with a style publication he wanted to bring “a showgirl attitude” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the mid-century, the backup dancers wafted giant feathered fans.

Pulling from History

Modern stars and other chart toppers also draw on classic performances, including classic theater and ensemble references. The outcome are worlds away from the 1990s era pop style of short shirts and utilitarian trousers, and urban dance moves that preceded this trend.

But not everyone are on board with this showgirl revival. An ex-showgirl, a former Jubilee! showgirl who danced in the early 2000s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “used 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 millennial and millennial stars, Mackie’s retro designs have become highly covetable. In 2024, Zendaya honored 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. Later that year, another pop star paid an private amount to buy the Mackie beaded mini dress she had worn earlier in the year to perform at the Grammys. In September, Sabrina Carpenter wore a trio of vintage Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among vintage enthusiasts.

“This style inspire fond memories for a past glamour,” says a historian, a curator at the an academic institution, who documents the history of showgirls. “Currently it is seen as a sort of ‘toned-down’ appeal because it has been adapted. It has got all the glamour, the sparkles and the shine but without the nudity.”

More Than Just Fashion: An Symbol of the City

The expert says this figure are central to the identity of Vegas. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was accompanied by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas no longer has any showgirl-based productions, Chung says they are still featured as an symbol of the city, being present at conventions and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a enduring figure of Vegas glitz and glamour,” the expert says.

An Allure of Escape

The former showgirl says the magical transformation of a stage character is part of the appeal. It’s something the singer hints at in a recent docuseries that documents the backstage action from her extensive 2023 Eras tour, which included intense rehearsals, workouts and 149 shows across multiple nations, each lasting 3.5 hours.

She recalls her own nights in the spotlight as “similar to completing an endurance race in high heels every night”. Her headdress tipped the scales at 34lbs. “I had to support it all the way up the steps to the performance area from the backstage area three floors below in the underground. I had to leave early for my moment so I could catch my breath before I made my entrance. One is perspiring the whole time but creating this illusion that it’s effortless and stunning and dreamlike.”

Maybe this is where the true allure of the showgirl fantasy really is found. In the chaos of 2025 there is a desire for a break from reality. What better figure to turn to than these performers, who have always represented dreams, flawlessness and a realm where nobody falters.