HOUSTON– The gold bikini-style outfit that Carrie Fisher The actress who dressed as Princess Leia during the production of “Return of the Jedi”, from the “Star Wars” franchise, sold for US$175,000, according to the auction house that handled the sale.
The costume became famous when Fisher wore it at the beginning of the 1983 film, when Leia was captured by Jabba the Hutt in his palace on Tatooine and forced into slavery.
The costume, one of the most memorable of “ Star Wars ” films, were sold on Friday by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions.
Joe Maddalena, executive vice president of Heritage, said the costume sold was tested and worn by Fisher on the set of the film, but ultimately did not make it into the final version of the film as it was swapped out for one that was more comfortable.
The auction house said the costume sparked a bidding war among collectors.
Maddalena said he was not surprised by the attention bidders paid to the costume, as well as the model of a Y-wing fighter that took on the Death Star in the original “Star Wars” film, which sold for $1.55 million. He said “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” have a very avid fan base.
“The power of ‘Star Wars’ proves itself again. These films are very impactful”, said Maddalena.
In a November 2016 interview with NPR’s “Fresh Air” Fisher said wearing the costume was not her choice.
“When (director George Lucas) showed me the costume, I thought he was joking and it made me very nervous. I had to sit very straight because I couldn’t have wrinkles on the sides, like small wrinkles. No creases were allowed, so I had to sit very, very stiff and upright,” said Fisher, who died about a month after the interview.
Richard Miller, who created the costume, said in an interview which is included in a “Star Wars” box set he used soft material to construct the costume so Fisher could move more freely.
“However, she still didn’t like it. I don’t blame her,” said Miller, who was the chief sculptor for Industrial Light & Magic, the visual effects company founded by “Star Wars” creator George Lucas. “I put leather on the back to help it feel better.”
The costume had its share of critics, who thought it sexualized Fisher to the franchise’s male fan base.
In the 2015 “Interview” magazine, Fisher told actress Daisy Ridley, who starred in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “You will make people have fantasies about you. This will make you uncomfortable, I think. She resisted the idea of being a sex symbol and told Ridley to “fight for her outfit.”
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