Woman Crush Wednesday : Sabina Kelley

If you’ve ever seen the movie Showgirls, you are without a doubt an adamant fan of Nomi Malone, the showgirl that took 1990’s Las Vegas by storm, also known as Elizabeth Berkley’s crowning moment as an actress. There was a raw and wild mystique about her that felt uncensored and brutally honest (not to mention her impeccable knife skills), but at the end of the film you were left wondering what happened to that unpredictable showgirl that left everything behind in search of something bigger. Well, we’ll tell ya, she moved to Australia and now goes by the alias Sabina Kelley and follow instagram @sabinakelley.

Just kidding, but if Malone were a real life person (and we’re still holding out hope that she is) she would undoubtedly be based off of real life showgirl, model, business woman, and television personality Kelley, although we think she might forgo the whole pushing a fellow showgirl down the stage stairs thing.

Sabina Kelley by Christian Saint


Sabina Kelley and her husband by Tim Caraco


Sabina Kelley during her time in "Jubilee" at the Ballys Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada

Besides the obvious physical similarities between Kelley and Malone, the blonde hair, legs up to there, and the unshakeable feeling that she might kick our asses with a swift kick to the groin, the beautiful ladies are both former Las Vegas showgirls. In fact, Kelley actually spent two years starring in “Jubilee” at the Ballys Hotel, as well as another year guest-headlining at the Stratosphere’s production of “Pin-Up”. Nowadays she plays host to Australian television show, Best Inked, with the likes of former Fall Out Boy frontman Pete Wentz, and tattoo artists Hannah Aitchison and Joe Capobianco.

Sabina Kelley by Jill Kerswill


Sabina Kelley by John Robert Kley

Aside from her former glory as a statuesque Las Vegas starlet, Kelley has spent a total of fourteen years as a professional model. Although she’s dabbled in a bit of everything, her strength lies in the art of pin-up modeling. While we could think of a few reasons why Kelley is well suited for pin-up, her, er... attributes for starters, there’s also a certain nostalgic and vintage quality to her overall aesthetic and style, one that lends itself quite well to pin-up modeling. Pink cat eye sunglasses, leopard print everything, and perfectly curled high ponytails, Kelley’s style is incredibly reminiscent of 1950’s Barbie.

Sabina Kelley by Shannon Brooke


Sabina Kelley by Lauren Horwood

So while she might not live in Las Vegas anymore, or call The Stardust, uh... The Stratosphere home, her pin up and showgirl roots still shine through as bright as the Las Vegas strip. Kelley is just about as close as you can get to dream girl Nomi Malone, although the jury is still out on whether or not she’s a fan of Versayce.