27 July 2024

Star Wars bikini costume worn by Princess Leia sells for more than £100,000

27 July 2024

A gold bikini-style costume that was worn by Carrie Fisher in Star Wars: Episode VI Return Of The Jedi has sold for more than £100,000.

The ensemble, also including the hip rings and bracelets, was donned by Fisher, when her character Princess Leia was captured by crime boss Jabba the Hut, and chained to his throne after trying to rescue Han Solo, played by Harrison Ford.

Created by the Star Wars concept sculptor Richard Miller, the garment sold for 175,000 US dollars (£136,129) at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, US, on Friday.

A miniature fighter ship, which featured in the first movie of the franchise, which was later retitled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope following the prequels, went for 1.5 million US dollars (£1.17 million).

The “Gold Squadron” Y-Wing Starfighter was subject to a “bidding war”, according to the auctioneers.

It was used to demonstrate rebel fighters in the movie as they tried to take down the Death Star, which was destroyed by Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill).

US actress Fisher, who died in December 2016 aged 60, spoke about wearing the bikini to the Daily Beast in 2015, while promoting the return of her character in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

She said that she questioned director George Lucas about the outfit, which says made her vulnerable to the “occasional wardrobe malfunction”.

However, Fisher explained she enjoyed using the chains to kill the grotesque slug-like creature, Jabba, saying: “They asked me if I wanted my stunt double to kill him, but I wanted to.

“I sawed his neck off with that chain. I really wanted to kill him.”

She says that she was “somewhat proud” of how she looked in the outfit, but also explained that she has “serious body dysmorphia issues”.

Fisher was open about her battles with drink and drugs as well as dealing with mental illness.

She became a mental health advocate, who inspired others by writing about her struggles through the semi-autobiographical novel Postcards From The Edge, about a recovering drug addict film star, and autobiographical one-woman show, Wishful Drinking.

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