Princess Leia's bikini

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Princess Leia's bikini
Princess Leia (played by Carrie Fisher) in her iconic "metal bikini" slave outfit from Return of the Jedi
DesignerAggie Guerard Rodgers and Nilo Rodis-Jamero
Year1983 (1983)
TypeBikini/film costume
MaterialCopper 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]

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "Princess Leia Slave Costume". The Padawan's Guide. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ a b Douglas Brode, Leah Deyneka (2012). Sex, Politics, and Religion in Star Wars: An Anthology. p. 79, Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810885141
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ a b "The Hottest Slave Leia Cosplay on Instagram". Cosplay News Network. January 21, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  8. ^ Crowley, Dan (2007). 505 Unbelievably Stupid Webpages. p. 191 (entry 127), Sourcebooks, Inc., ISBN 9781402248221
  9. ^ Berlatsky, Noah (November 5, 2015). "The 'slave Leia' controversy is about more than objectification". The Guardian. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ "Princess Leia's Metal Bikini". Wired. July 11, 2006. Archived from the original on November 14, 2012. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  12. ^ Carl Silvio, Tony M. Vinci, Culture, identities, and technology in the Star wars films, page 117, McFarland & Co., 2007, ISBN 0-7864-2910-0
  13. ^ McCoy, Heath (April 26, 2008). "Geek girls gone wild!". Calgary Herald. Archived from the original on April 27, 2008.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ "Daisy Ridley". Interview Magazine. October 28, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  17. ^ 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]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cosplay of Leia Organa slave bikini.
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