Aside from Darth Vader's iconic black suit and helmet, there is probably no costume more frequently associated with Star Wars than the gold bikini worn by Princess Leia in Return of the Jedi.
As all good geeks know, Leia (as played by Carrie Fisher) was forced into becoming a slave to Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi after a failed attempt at rescuing Han Solo. She was soon rescued herself thanks to a crafty plan by her Jedi brother, but not before being forced to wear this revealing (some might say demeaning) slave attire.
In recent years, the outfit has become an infamous part of geek culture, immortalized by dozens of girls (and sometimes guys) regularly showing up at conventions in their own "Slave Leia" costume. Jennifer Aniston wore one in a famous, buzz-worthy episode of Friends. Kristen Bell wore a Slave Leia costume in the movie Fanboys. It's a staple of Halloween costume parties, and always earns prominent placement in costume stores.
But none of those expressions of fandom could possibly top this one. Profiles In History has placed an ultra-rare "Slave Leia" costume up for auction. Now it should be noted that while the item is listed in the auction as a "set-used" version of the costume, it is not one that was seen on film.
Instead, it's an early prototype that was used on the set for rehearsals and whatnot, but as production went on, Carrie Fisher's measurements changed. (It seems she was determined to lose weight to help highlight her curves in the costume.) This prototype costume was quickly returned to the ILM model shop it came from and was replaced by newer versions that better fit Fisher's form.
The auction lot includes the costume, made from urethane rubber, the original wax masters scuplted by artist Richard Miller, and several other prototypes that George Lucas dismissed for being "too complex" in their design. The fabric loin cloth and chains are re-creations made more recently. Also included are production slides of a model wearing the outfit, sketches of the design and notes on Carrie Fisher's measurements.
Profiles In History's auction begins on October 1, and is expected to fetch between $80,000 and $120,000. Bids can be placed online here.
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