The late Carrie Fisher’s iconic Princess Leia gold bikini from ‘Star Wars’ sold for $175,000 (£136,000, A$266,000) at auction.
The costume from the 1983 film ‘Return of the Jedi’ was sold by Heritage Auctions in the US on Friday. Fisher’s character wore it while chained to Jabba the Hutt’s throne.
The seven-piece set includes a bikini top, bikini plates, hip rings, an armlet, and a bracelet. It was designed by Richard Miller, the chief sculptor for Industrial Light & Magic, the visual effects company founded by Star Wars creator George Lucas.
Other Items From The Auction
A miniature aircraft from the first ‘Star Wars’ film, ‘A New Hope,’ sold for $1.55 million (£1.2 million, A$2.36 million) at the auction. The miniature Y-Wing Starfighter, which helped destroy the Death Star, was one of only two made for the film.
It was designed by Colin Cantwell. Lucas wanted the ships to have distinct shapes so viewers could easily tell if a ship was a ‘good guy’ or a ‘bad guy,’ according to Heritage Auctions.
The Hollywood auction also sold a movie poster from ‘Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home’ by Bob Peak for $106,250. A Thor hammer from ‘Thor: The Dark World’ sold for $81,250, and a Mandalorian helmet was bought for $40,000.
Princess Leia’s costume is one of the most famous in film history. It sold for $96,000 at a Star Wars auction in 2015. Fisher often spoke about the costume and said in 2016 that she thought George Lucas was ‘kidding’ when he first showed it to her. She said:
“It was like, ‘Where am I in all of this?’ … I have to stay with the slug with the big tongue! Nearly naked, which is not a style choice for me. … It wasn’t my choice. When [director George Lucas] showed me the outfit, I thought he was kidding and it made me very nervous. I had to sit very straight because I couldn’t have lines on my sides, like little creases. No creases were allowed, so I had to sit very, very rigid straight.”
Miller also added soft material and leather to the costume to make it more comfortable for Fisher, but she still didn’t like it.
