The iconic gold bikini-style costume worn by Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in “Return of the Jedi” from the “Star Wars” franchise has been sold for $175,000 at an auction conducted by Heritage Auctions in Dallas. This costume gained fame in the 1983 film when Princess Leia was captured by Jabba the Hutt and made to be his slave at his palace on Tatooine.
The costume, which was one of the most recognizable outfits in the “Star Wars” series, had been screen tested and worn by Fisher on the movie set. However, it was not used in the final cut of the film as it was replaced by a more comfortable version. The auction house revealed that the costume ignited a bidding war among collectors eager to own this piece of cinematic history.
Joe Maddalena, the executive vice president at Heritage, noted the significant interest in the Princess Leia costume, as well as in a model of a Y-wing fighter from the original “Star Wars” movie that was sold for $1.55 million. Maddalena emphasized the devoted fan bases of both “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” franchises, highlighting the enduring impact of these movies.
In a past interview with NPR’s “Fresh Air” in November 2016, Fisher shared her initial discomfort with the costume, mentioning that she had to maintain a rigid posture to avoid creases due to the outfit’s design. The costume designer, Richard Miller, explained that he used soft materials to allow Fisher more freedom of movement, but Fisher still found the costume unpleasant.
Criticism of the costume arose, with some viewing it as overly sexualizing Fisher for the male audience of the franchise. Despite this, Fisher, in a conversation with Daisy Ridley, urged her to stand up for herself and resist being objectified as a sex symbol. Fisher’s legacy as Princess Leia transcends her appearance in the gold bikini, with her advocating for women in the industry to assert their autonomy and push against objectification.
