Elizabeth Berkley, the OG Showgirl, Hits Paris Fashion Week

30 years ago, Elizabeth Berkley starred in Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls—one of the most polarizing films in Hollywood to date. You know the movie: The campy erotic-thriller, with iconic one-liners such as, "It’s a Versayce!” While it was critically-panned at the time, the fan-favorite flick has since become a cult classic. “Throughout the years, fans have come up to me to tell me what my character, Nomi, and her strength has given them,” Berkley tells Vogue. “I just saw a video with Donatella Versace holding up a dress and using my dialogue. I didn’t ever think I was going to see that moment!”

Indeed, the film’s slow redemption arc has been welcomed, but rather unexpected. The project garnered such scathing reviews that it almost derailed Berkley’s acting career. “When the film came out, it was not the easiest time. Now, you wouldn’t be allowed to treat young actresses like that,” Berkley says. A new audience of fans, however, is heaping the actor with praise, and eager to meet her. Case in point: On October 9, Berkley is hosting a special evening in Austin, Texas with Live Nation in honor of the film. “I’m grateful that it has found its way into pop culture,” she says. “The LGBTQ+ community has really been the champion for this film—they got it from the beginning.”

“I loved the juxtaposition of the fabrics and textures, and the subtle details of the undergarments,” Berkley said of the Mugler show today. “There was this stunning gold suit that took my breath away. There was another suit that had a beaded top that you would see in an old Vegas show—but it was painted and modernized."

Photo: Tomás Herold

Furthering her career renaissance this month, Berkley was a VIP guest at Paris Fashion Week today. The star sat front row at the spring 2026 Mugler show, which was a fitting choice, given designer Miguel Castro Freitas—who made his debut for the house—was inspired by the glitz and glamour of retro cinema this season; a very Showgirls-worthy reference. “I loved hearing about Miguel’s love of film and storytelling,” says Berkley, who met the designer a few days before the show in Paris for fittings. “As an actress, it was thrilling to see his mood board—it was almost like seeing a storyboard for a movie.” Berkley was drawn to the collection’s exploration of womanhood. “Every look in the show felt like a specific character, each embodying a different feeling and energy. They all celebrated a different aspect of being a modern woman—there was strength and vulnerability.”

Naturally, Berkley wanted to embody this mood for her splashy Paris appearance. During fittings earlier this week, the actor says she was set to wear a custom Mugler dress—but then a more unexpected and tailored design fell into her lap. “We saw this suiting hanging on the rack, and I tried it on just to see,” says Berkley. “It was the perfect strong silhouette—it looked like it had been made for me. Everyone in the room gasped. It was a no-brainer.” From there, Berkley and the Mugler team played around with accessories—like sheer gloves, stockings, and a singular crystal chandelier earring. “The one earring was so chic and unique—I loved the perfectly-imperfect asymmetry,” says Berkley. (She was so into the look, she wore it to lunch at L Avenue immediately after the show.)