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After a 31-year stint on the iconic Vegas strip, the dancers from the production Jubilee! gave one last perfectly timed kick in 2016. The production, known for its elaborate costumes designed by style icon Bob Mackie, closed its doors due to declining audience numbers and unimpressed commentators who called it a spectacle “trapped in time”.

Now, roughly eight years later, the showgirl persona, or at least the showgirl aesthetic, is back.

A King of Sequins

Known as the “sultan of sequins”, Mackie has made theatrical showgirl glamour his signature style, dressing everyone from Hollywood icons to music superstars. Recently, a “naked” bodysuit he created for Cher in 1978 sold for $57,600, far exceeding its projected value, while a shimmering fringed bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie crafted for Tina Turner for a 1977 concert sold for $19,200.

“In my view it looks more enticing for the emerging artists who is looking for something other than what they were accustomed to”, he explained to a media outlet. “Contemporary performers are striving for a theatrical, more spectacular, breathtaking, entrance-making statement.”

A Mainstream Revival

It’s a look that made its way all the way to the epicenter of popular culture in 2025 propelled by Taylor Swift. Recently, the music phenomenon wore one of Mackie’s classic Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The bedazzled bra and thong, feathered armbands and shimmering headpiece were ideal for a record titled The Life of a Showgirl.

The singer is part of a trend. This year, showgirl inspirations have been embraced by singers including Dua Lipa as they whizzed across world tours in sequins, cut-outs and ostrich feathers, illuminated against overstated sets. Her fashion curator a fashion expert mentioned in an interview with Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl attitude” to her Radical Optimism tour – inspired by pictures from the 50s, the backup dancers wafted giant feathered fans.

Drawing from History

These artists and other hitmakers also reference classic entertainment forms, including burlesque and ensemble references. The results are worlds away from the late-century teen pop of revealing tops and cargo pants, and urban dance moves that were popular earlier.

But not everyone are on board with this showgirl renaissance. Nancy Hardy, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who entertained in the early 2000s says the trend is “bemusing”. She thinks the word showgirl is being “treated as an broad label including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently Taylor Swift.”

The Coveted Vintage Style

For millennial and young adult stars, Mackie’s vintage designs have become highly covetable. In 2024, a style icon gave a nod to one of Mackie’s first major stars, Cher, when the star wore a translucent sequined dress designed by the designer in 2001, which was similar to one he designed for Cher to wear in 1967. Subsequently, a singer paid an undisclosed sum to buy the Mackie fringed mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, Sabrina Carpenter wore a collection 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 Su Kim Chung, a curator at the an academic institution, who studies the history of showgirls. “Currently it is seen as a sort of ‘safe’ allure because it has been modified. It has got all the glamour, the crystals and the shine but without the bare skin.”

A Than Simply Style: An Icon of Las Vegas

Chung says this figure are integral to the imagery of Las Vegas. She points to former mayor Oscar Goodman who, during public appearances, was flanked 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, appearing at corporate events and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a enduring icon of Vegas glamour,” Chung says.

An Allure of Illusion

Hardy says the transformative effect of a showgirl is part of the attraction. This is a notion Swift alludes to in a new documentary series that documents the off-camera action from her massive 2023 Eras tour, which included gruelling preparations, workouts and countless shows across 21 countries, each running for 3.5 hours.

She explains her own showgirl performances as “similar to extreme physical exertion in stilettos every night”. Her headdress weighed 34lbs. “I had to carry it all the way up the staircase to the platform from the backstage area three floors below in the underground. I had to start early for my moment so I could rest before I made my entrance. You are sweating the whole time but maintaining this illusion that it’s simple and gorgeous and dreamlike.”

Perhaps this is where the appeal of the showgirl fantasy really lies. In the complexity of 2025 there is a longing for escapism. Who better to turn to than such icons, who have always embodied make-believe, flawlessness and a realm where nobody misses a mark.