Princess Leia's bikini
Designer | Aggie Guerard Rodgers and Nilo Rodis-Jamero |
---|---|
Year | 1983 |
Type | Bikini/film costume |
Material | Copper plate and wire, leather and silk |
Princess Leia's bikini is an iconic costume worn by actress Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in the 1983 Star Wars film Return of the Jedi.
Development[edit]
The outfit was created by Aggie Guerard Rodgers and Nilo Rodis-Jamero, costume designers for Return of the Jedi.[1][2] According to Rodgers, the design was inspired by the work of artist Frank Frazetta.[1] Author Rikke Schubart suggested the design was also derived from drawings by Earle K. Bergey of women in metal bikinis.[3]
Design and material[edit]
Rodgers and the staff created multiple versions of the metal bikini string to accommodate different scenes in the film, including a hard metal piece (original bronze bra by sculptor Richard Miller who is credited as "head jeweler" in the film credits) for scenes in which Fisher remained still, and a rubber outfit she and stuntwoman Tracy Eddon could wear comfortably while performing stunts.[1] The costume designers made a mold of Fisher's torso so it could be designed to a custom fit.[1] Fisher quipped that the bikini is "what supermodels will eventually wear in the seventh ring of hell."[4]
- Top: The outfit consisted of a patterned copper brassiere with a curved, plunging neckline that fastened behind the neck and back with string.
- Bottom: The outfit had a copper plate at the front and both the front and the back were covered by a red silk loincloth.[5]
- Accessories: Fisher wore knee-high boots of leather, a hair fastener that positioned her braided ponytail to cascade over her right shoulder, two bracelets, and a snake arm-wrap. She also wore a chain and collar that bound her to Jabba the Hutt, her captor, which she used to kill him.[5]
Reception[edit]
Featured only in two scenes, the "Slave Leia" costume has nonetheless made Carrie Fisher an iconic sex symbol.[6][7] The outfit has been elevated to pop culture icon status, spawning various spoofs and parodies and even a dedicated fansite.[8] Wired wrote that the only reason for the costume's fame is "no doubt that the sight of Carrie Fisher in the gold sci-fi swimsuit was burned into the sweaty subconscious of a generation of fanboys hitting puberty in the spring of 1983."[1] Noah Berlatsky argued in The Guardian for a deeper significance to the costume beyond its function as a sex symbol, stating that the outfit represents an important stage in Princess Leia's complicated relationship with Han Solo.[9] Peter W. Lee argues that the bikini connotes Leia's hopelessness and helplessness, but even in that demeaning costume she retains her dignity and remains an icon of feminism.[10]
The costume is a popular cosplay at Star Wars Celebrations and comic conventions.[6][7][11][12][13] Comedian Amy Schumer wore a replica of the outfit for the August 2015 cover of GQ.[14] With Disney's 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm, merchandise featuring the costume ceased to be made, apparently in response to a Fox News segment in which parents described difficulties explaining toys featuring the costume (including a chain around Leia's neck) to their children. Fisher called Disney's decision "stupid," saying, "Tell [the kids] that a giant slug captured me and forced me to wear that stupid outfit, and then I killed him because I didn't like it."[15]
In 2015, Fisher said "I am not a sex symbol, so that's an opinion of someone. I don’t share that", and told Daisy Ridley to "fight for your outfit. Don't be a slave like I was".[16][17]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e Chien, Philip (July 11, 2006). "The Cult of Leia's Metal Bikini". Wired. Archived from the original on December 27, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ^ "Princess Leia Slave Costume". The Padawan's Guide. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
- ^ Rikke Schubart, Super bitches and action babes: the female hero in popular cinema, 1970–2006, page 225, McFarland & Co., 2007, ISBN 0-7864-2924-0
- ^ Fisher, Carrie (May 16, 1999). "Postcards From the Edge of the Galaxy". Newsweek. Archived from the original on July 2, 2001. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
- ^ a b Douglas Brode, Leah Deyneka (2012). Sex, Politics, and Religion in Star Wars: An Anthology. p. 79, Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810885141
- ^ a b Townsend, Allie (July 5, 2011). "Princess Leia's Gold Bikini in Return of the Jedi". Time. Archived from the original on July 9, 2011. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
- ^ a b "The Hottest Slave Leia Cosplay on Instagram". Cosplay News Network. January 21, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ^ Crowley, Dan (2007). 505 Unbelievably Stupid Webpages. p. 191 (entry 127), Sourcebooks, Inc., ISBN 9781402248221
- ^ Berlatsky, Noah (November 5, 2015). "The 'slave Leia' controversy is about more than objectification". The Guardian. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
- ^ Lee, Peter W. (2016). A Galaxy Here and Now: Historical and Cultural Readings of Star Wars. McFarland & Co. pp. 68–69. ISBN 978-1-4766-2408-2.
- ^ "Princess Leia's Metal Bikini". Wired. July 11, 2006. Archived from the original on November 14, 2012. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ^ Carl Silvio, Tony M. Vinci, Culture, identities, and technology in the Star wars films, page 117, McFarland & Co., 2007, ISBN 0-7864-2910-0
- ^ McCoy, Heath (April 26, 2008). "Geek girls gone wild!". Calgary Herald. Archived from the original on April 27, 2008.
- ^ Johnson, Zach (July 15, 2015). "Amy Schumer Wears Princess Leia's Bikini, Seduces C-3PO and R2-D2 and Poses Topless in GQ". E!. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ^ Shamsian, Jacob (December 11, 2017). "Carrie Fisher had a great response to anyone who was upset about the Princess Leia bikini in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi". Insider. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
- ^ "Daisy Ridley". Interview Magazine. October 28, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
- ^ McMillan, Graeme (October 30, 2015). "Star Wars: Carrie Fisher Tells Daisy Ridley 'Don't Be a Slave Like I Was'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
Further reading[edit]
- Edlitz, Mark (August 5, 2010). "Fashion by Jabba the Hutt". HuffPost. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
- Romano, Nick (October 3, 2015). "Princess Leia's Star Wars bikini sells for $96,000 at auction". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 25, 2015.