Why 'Showgirl Glamour' Transformed into the Sparkling Aesthetic of This Year

After a three-decade stint on the iconic Vegas strip, the performers from the production Jubilee! executed their last perfectly timed kick in 2016. The extravaganza, famous for its elaborate costumes created by American fashion designer Bob Mackie, ended its run due to falling audience numbers and disappointed commentators who labeled it a spectacle “a relic of another era”.

Now, nearly ten years later, showgirls, or at least the showgirl style, is making a comeback.

A King of Sparkle

Known as the “master of glitz”, Mackie has made dramatic showgirl glitz his defining aesthetic, clothing everyone from Hollywood icons to Madonna. Earlier this month, a “see-through” bodysuit he designed for Cher in 1978 fetched $57,600, well over its projected value, while a silver and gold fringed bodysuit with shiny wings that Mackie created for Tina Turner for a 1977 performance sold for $19,200.

“I believe it looks more attractive for the emerging artists who is seeking something other than what they were accustomed to”, he explained to a publication. “Contemporary performers are embracing a show-stopping, more spectacular, breathtaking, memorable statement.”

A Pop Culture Resurgence

It’s a look that sashayed all the way to the heart of mainstream fashion in 2025 thanks to a chart-topping superstar. Recently, the entertainment titan wore one of Mackie’s vintage Jubilee! costumes on the cover of her latest record. The rhinestone encrusted bra and thong, feathered armbands and sparkly headpiece were ideal for a record called The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift has company. This year, showgirl references have been embraced by pop stars including Dua Lipa as they zoomed across world tours in sparkles, revealing designs and ostrich feathers, illuminated against theatrical sets. Her fashion curator her creative director explained to Vogue he wanted to bring “a showgirl spirit” to her Radical Optimism tour – referencing pictures from the 50s, her performers fluttered giant plumed accessories.

Pulling from History

Modern stars and other chart toppers also reference 19th-century entertainment forms, including burlesque and chorus line references. The outcome are poles apart from the late-century pop style of revealing tops and baggy pants, and hip-hop inspired dance moves that preceded this trend.

But some critics are on board with this showgirl revival. A former performer, a ex- Jubilee! showgirl who performed in the early 2000s says the trend is “puzzling”. She thinks the word term is being “treated as an umbrella term including everything from The Radio City Rockettes to Broadway performers and now apparently modern pop stars.”

The Coveted Classic Look

For younger and young adult stars, Mackie’s classic designs have become incredibly sought-after. In 2024, a famous actress gave a nod to one of Mackie’s earliest clients, Cher, when the actress wore a semi-sheer beaded dress created by the designer in 2001, which was inspired by one he designed for Cher to wear in 1967. Months after, Miley Cyrus paid an private amount to buy the Mackie beaded mini dress she had worn previously to perform at the Grammys. In September, Carpenter wore a series of classic Mackie designs at the MTV Video Music Awards. They are also a popular item among collectors.

“This style inspire fond memories for a historical elegance,” says Su Kim Chung, an expert at the University of Nevada, who studies the legacy of showgirls. “Today it is considered a sort of ‘safe’ sexy because it has been modified. It has got all the sophistication, the sparkles and the glitter but without the bare skin.”

More Than Simply Fashion: An Symbol of Vegas

She says this figure are central to the imagery of Vegas. She points to one-time leader Oscar Goodman who, during official events, was flanked by two showgirls. Although Las Vegas no longer has any showgirl-based productions, the historian says they are still used as an symbol of the city, showing up at corporate events and in marketing. “The showgirl is still a enduring icon of Vegas glamour,” she says.

The Allure of Illusion

Hardy says the magical transformation of a stage character is part of the allure. It’s something the singer hints at in a recent docuseries that documents the behind-the-scenes action from her year-long 2023 Eras tour, which included intense preparations, workouts and 149 concerts across dozens of cities, each lasting 3.5 hours.

She describes her own stage routines as “comparable to running a marathon in stilettos every night”. Her headpiece was 34lbs. “I had to wear it all the way up the staircase to the platform from the dressing rooms three floors below in the basement. I had to leave early for my cue so I could rest before I went on stage. You are perspiring the whole time but maintaining this fantasy that it’s simple and beautiful and dreamlike.”

Maybe this is where the true allure of the showgirl fantasy really resides. In the chaos of 2025 there is a longing for escapism. What better figure to emulate than showgirls, who have always personified dreams, idealism and a universe where nobody falters.