By: Cherry Li
Princess Leia Organa is a fictional character and one of the primary protagonists in the Star Wars saga, played in films by Carrie Fisher. She was introduced in the 1977’s Star Wars film.
In the film, Princess Leia wore the gown, which was made of lightweight silk and was adorned with a silver belt, to an awards ceremony. After the Death Star is destroyed, the princess, who is the head of the Rebel Alliance, awards medals to Han Solo (Henry Ford) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). In the end, Leia died unexpectedly as she led her troops from the rebel base into combat, all as Rey fought Kylo Ren in the rain some distance away. Maz Kanata, Rose Tico, and others from the hero’s side of the battle kept guard over the fallen general in her dying moments.
The costume was scheduled to be burnt when the shoot was finished. Costumes were often destroyed or returned if hired in the 1970s, according to Brandon Alinger, chief operating officer of Propstore.
According to Alinger, a crew member stole the outfit from the fire pile.
“It was about 10 or 12 years ago that we first became aware of the piece,” he continued. “It was such a moment when we first learned of this, and then, ultimately, when the Star Wars fandom discovered that this piece still existed.”
The classic gown was recently discovered in a London attic and has been auctioned off live on July 5th.
“When we first saw it, it was in something of a poor state,” Mr. Alinger said.
According to the auction description, professional textile conservators restored the garments to “meticulous, museum-caliber” condition. For eight months, workers struggled to clean the gown and repair minute holes that had emerged in the fabric’s weak places. The hem and seams were restitched and attached to the strictest preservation standards to make it look as neat as possible.
According to Propstore, a firm that buys film and television memorabilia and is arranging the auction, it might fetch up to $2 million.
However, things did not go quite as anticipated.
Instead, the outfit did not sell since it did not meet the seller’s minimum sale price. With a final bid of $975,000, bidders fell short of the owners’ minimum asking price of $1 million.
Given the amount the garment was supposed to sell for, there’s a good probability that this gown is best headed for a showcase collection rather than personal wear.