A gold bikini worn by the late Carrie Fisher in Return of the Jedi has been sold for $175,000 (£136,000) at auction, making it one of the most valuable costumes in film history. The iconic Star Wars outfit includes a bikini top, bikini plates, hip rings, an armlet, and a bracelet.
Fisher, who played Princess Leia, recalled in a 2016 NPR interview that she initially thought director George Lucas was “kidding” when he showed her the bikini. She described feeling “nearly naked, which is not a style choice for me” and admitted that it made her “very nervous.” She also revealed the challenge of maintaining a perfect posture during filming: “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.”
In addition to the bikini, a miniature Starfighter aircraft used in the first Star Wars film sold for $1.5 million (£1.1 million). Heritage Auctions, which ran the sale, stated that the object is one of only two filming miniatures created for the production.
Other notable items auctioned include a wand used by Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which fetched $52,000, and a hammer prop from a Thor film, which sold for $81,000. An outfit worn by Macauley Culkin in the first Home Alone film went for $47,500.
