Princess Leia’s white dress worn by Carrie Fisher in first 'Star Wars' film likely to fetch $2M at auction
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The one and only Princess Leia's costume from the first 'Star Wars' film that has ever been discovered is anticipated to fetch up to $2 million at an auction the following month. Carrie Fisher wore a white silk outfit that was created by Oscar-winning costume designer John Mollo and fashioned by a French dressmaker for the 1977 film's final climatic sequence.
Given that 'Star Wars' director George Lucas referred to Leia in his script as a "vision in white," it was intended to stand for purity. After filming at Pinewood Studios, a British crew member retained the outfit as a memento and later loaned it to a friend for a fancy dress party.
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'When I was first told about the dress, I simply couldn't believe it'
It was torn and soiled there with food, wine, and blood before being left in a plastic bag for decades. Stephen Lane, a props collector who received a tip from another collector 10 years prior, rediscovered it. "When I was first told about the dress, I simply couldn't believe it," Lane told the New York Post. "I've been collecting for 30 years and I think it's one of the most exciting finds of my career."
Lane took the dress to professional restorers Janie Lightfood who spent 10 months and thousands of dollars to restore it to its original condition. "They are used to working with tapestries that are hundreds of years old and are the experts when it comes to textile conservation," Lane said. "As part of the process, they had to analyze all the marks on the garment — and found food, wine, and even blood."
The outfit will be auctioned off by Propstore
The outfit will be auctioned off by Propstore from June 28 to June 30 at The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, as per Daily Mail. The collection of more than 1,400 objects which comes from more than 500 movies and TV series, includes the dress. Other items include the "evil clown" doll from Poltergeist, Michael Keaton's Batsuit exhibit, Christian Bale's Batman Batpod, and more.
'It's the holy grail for 'Star Wars' collectors'
The dress is one of the most expensive pieces of 'Star Wars' memorabilia ever sold with estimates of its sale price ranging from $1 million to $2 million. Lane expressed his hope that it would be given to a fan who would understand its significance and history. It's a part of movie history, he declared. "It's the holy grail for 'Star Wars' collectors."