🔗 Share this article How 'Showgirl' Emerged as the Glittering Aesthetic of the New Year Following a three-decade tenure on the iconic Vegas strip, the performers from the revue Jubilee! gave one last choreographed kick in 2016. The show, famous for its elaborate costumes created by celebrated designer Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to dwindling audience numbers and critical critics who labeled it a spectacle “stuck in the past”. Currently, nearly ten years later, showgirls, or at least the showgirl style, is back. A Sultan of Sparkle Dubbed the “king of sparkle”, Mackie has made over-the-top stage sparkle his signature style, clothing everyone from screen legends to pop royalty. Earlier this month, a “naked” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, far exceeding its estimated price, while a shimmering beaded bodysuit with reflective wings that Mackie designed for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200. “I think it looks more enticing for the new generation of stars who is desiring something other than what they grew up with”, he told a media outlet. “Today's artists are striving for a show-stopping, more spectacular, attention-grabbing, memorable statement.” A Musical Revival It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the heart of popular culture in 2025 largely due to Taylor Swift. Recently, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s original Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, ostrich-feather armbands and shimmering headpiece were perfect for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl. She has company. This year, showgirl inspirations have been embraced by pop stars including Dua Lipa as they zoomed across concert platforms in sequins, revealing designs and ostrich feathers, illuminated against camp sets. Her fashion curator her creative director explained to a fashion magazine he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the mid-century, her performers wafted giant plumed accessories. Pulling from History Modern stars and other hitmakers also take inspiration from historical performances, including classic theater and dance line references. The outcome are worlds away from the 90s Britney Spears era of short shirts and cargo pants, and street-style dance moves that preceded this trend. But not everyone are convinced with this glamour resurgence. Nancy Hardy, a former Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the 2000s says the trend is “confusing”. She thinks the word showgirl title is being “treated as an umbrella term covering everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently today's icons.” The Highly Sought-After Retro Style For younger and modern stars, Mackie’s vintage designs have become highly covetable. In 2024, a famous actress gave a nod to one of Mackie’s iconic muses, Cher, when the actor wore a translucent embellished dress created by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he made for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, Miley Cyrus paid an private amount to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn earlier in the year to perform at the Grammys. In September, Sabrina Carpenter wore a trio of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a favorite among vintage enthusiasts. “The showgirl aesthetic bring about a sense of longing for a historical elegance,” says an archivist, a curator at the an academic institution, who documents the history of showgirls. “Now it is viewed as a sort of ‘toned-down’ appeal because it has been modified. It has got all the glamour, the rhinestones and the shine but without the nudity.” More Than Just Fashion: An Symbol of Vegas She says the showgirl image are key to the imagery of Sin City. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during civic functions, was surrounded by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas does not host any showgirl-based productions, Jung says they are still used as an emblem of the city, appearing at corporate events and in advertisements. “The showgirl is still a lasting symbol of Vegas glamour,” she says. An Appeal of Escape The former showgirl says the magical transformation of a stage character is part of the attraction. This idea the singer alludes to in a recent docuseries that documents the backstage action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling rehearsals, training and numerous shows across dozens of cities, each lasting 3.5 hours. She recalls her own showgirl performances as “comparable to completing an endurance race in heels every night”. Her headdress was 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the steps to the platform from the backstage area three floors below in the lower level. I had to start early for my moment so I could catch my breath before I made my entrance. One is working hard the whole time but crafting this fantasy that it’s effortless and gorgeous and ethereal.” Perhaps this is where the true allure of the showgirl fantasy really is found. In the busyness of 2025 there is a longing for escapism. Who better to look to than such icons, who have always embodied make-believe, idealism and a realm where nobody misses a mark.