US actress Carrie Fisher, who died in 2016, as Princess Leila in “Return of the Jedi” in 1983 (archive photo). (imago images / Ronald Grant / Mary Evans Picture Library via www.imago-images.de)
It is a gold-colored bikini that the US actress Carrie Fisher wore as Princess Leia in the film “Return of the Jedi” (1983). The Museum of Swimwear and Bathing Culture announced that they had bid on the item via a remote link a week ago when Heritage Auctions in Dallas (USA) offered over 500 rarities from Hollywood productions such as “Star Trek” and “Star Wars”.
The museum said that a “real bidding rally” broke out at the auction for Princess Leia’s original bikini. The auction was finally won at 140,000 US dollars. Including additional costs, the total price was 175,000 US dollars (around 162,000 euros).
Museum shows swimwear of numerous celebrities from film and music
Princess Leia’s bikini is in good company in Bad Rappenau alongside originals by Marilyn Monroe, Esther Williams, Elizabeth Taylor and Amy Winehouse. The famous two-piece worn by Carrie Fisher, who died in 2016, is “probably the second most valuable film bikini in the world” alongside Ursula Andress’ ivory bikini from “James Bond – 007 jagt Dr. No,” it was said. The Andress bikini was auctioned off by an unknown person in 2022 for around $240,000. The Bikini Museum had bid for a long time at the time, but ultimately came away empty-handed.
The BikiniARTmuseum in Bad Rappenau opened four years ago. On more than 2,000 square meters of exhibition space, it displays around 400 swimwear rarities from 1870 to the present day. The Louis Réard collection, i.e. exhibits from the inventor of the bikini, is considered outstanding. There are also around 300 themed works of art.
This message was broadcast on 02.08.2024 on the Deutschlandfunk program.
