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After a three-decade run on the iconic Vegas strip, the showgirls from the spectacle Jubilee! executed their last synchronised kick in 2016. The extravaganza, known for its elaborate costumes created by style icon Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to declining audience numbers and critical critics who described it as a spectacle “stuck in the past”.

Currently, nearly ten years later, showgirls, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is experiencing a revival.

A Master of Sparkle

Known as the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made theatrical stage sparkle his defining aesthetic, clothing everyone from screen legends to music superstars. Recently, a “barely-there” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, well over its projected value, while a silver and gold tasseled bodysuit with lamé wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“I believe it looks more attractive for the younger performer who is seeking something other than what they knew from childhood”, he told a media outlet. “Contemporary performers are striving for a show-stopping, more dramatic, attention-grabbing, memorable statement.”

The Pop Culture Resurgence

It’s a look that glided all the way to the centre of the cultural zeitgeist in 2025 thanks to Taylor Swift. Earlier this year, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her 12th studio album. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, ostrich-feather armbands and shimmering headpiece were tailor-made for a record called The Life of a Showgirl.

She isn't alone. This year, glamorous nods have been embraced by pop stars including Miley Cyrus as they whizzed across arena stages in sparkles, strategic openings and ostrich feathers, spotlighted against overstated sets. Her fashion curator Lorenzo Posocco explained to Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the 1950s, her performers wafted giant ostrich feather fans.

Drawing from Tradition

Modern stars and other successful musicians also reference historical entertainment forms, including classic theater and ensemble references. The final look are worlds away from the late-century teen pop of short shirts and cargo pants, and street-style dance moves that came before them.

But certain observers are enthusiastic with this glamour resurgence. A former performer, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the 00s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “treated as an broad label covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now even today's icons.”

The Coveted Vintage Look

For gen Z and millennial stars, Mackie’s vintage designs have become extremely desirable. In 2024, Zendaya paid tribute to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the actress wore a semi-sheer embellished dress made by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he created for Cher to wear in 1967. Later that year, Miley Cyrus paid an significant price to buy the Mackie beaded mini dress she had worn earlier in the year to perform at the Grammys. In September, Carpenter wore a collection of retro Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a hit among collectors.

“The showgirl aesthetic evoke nostalgia for a past glamour,” says a historian, an expert at the a Las Vegas university, who documents the history of showgirls. “Now it is considered a sort of ‘toned-down’ appeal because it has been modified. It has got all the sophistication, the sparkles and the sparkle but without the nudity.”

A Than Just Fashion: An Symbol of Las Vegas

She says the showgirl image are key to the identity of Vegas. She points to ex-mayor Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was flanked by two showgirls. Even though Las Vegas no longer has any traditional showgirl productions, Chung says they are still used as an emblem of the city, being present at corporate events and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a lasting icon of Las Vegas glitz and glamour,” Chung says.

The Appeal of Transformation

The former showgirl says the transformative effect of a showgirl persona is part of the attraction. It’s something the singer references in a new documentary series that documents the off-camera action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling preparations, training and 149 shows across 21 countries, each running for 3.5 hours.

The performer explains her own nights in the spotlight as “like extreme physical exertion in stilettos every night”. Her headdress weighed 34lbs. “I had to support it all the way up the steps to the platform from the green rooms three floors below in the basement. I had to leave early for my entrance so I could catch my breath before I went on stage. One is sweating the whole time but creating this illusion that it’s simple and beautiful and magical.”

It could be this is where the appeal of the showgirl fantasy really is found. In the complexity of 2025 there is a desire for a break from reality. Is there anyone better to look to than showgirls, who have always embodied make-believe, perfection and a realm where no one falters.