Even 007 would be impressed!
Bikini worn by the first-ever Bond girl Ursula Andress in that iconic beach scene from Dr. No is set to sell for $500,000 at auction
James Bond fans may have to wait until next year for the next 007 adventure movie, but those with deep pockets can get their hands on one of the most famous items to feature in the films thus far: the white bikini from that iconic Bond girl beach scene in Dr. No.
The ivory colored bikini worn by Ursula Andress in the first ever Bond movie is set to go up for auction in Los Angeles on November 12, with an estimated price of up to $ 500,000, auctioneers Profiles in History said on Wednesday.
Andress, now 84, stole hearts the world over when she made her debut in the 1962 movie wearing the famous two-piece, becoming an instant pin- up from the moment her character, beachcomber Honey Ryder, emerged dripping from the ocean in the swimsuit.
The scene has been copied and parodied countless times since the movie's release nearly six decades ago, and was even recreated in a more recent
Bond movie by actress Halle Berry.
But while Berry certainly made a splash in her own rendition of the moment - which featured in Pierce Brosnan movie Die Another Day - no Bond girl moment has ever managed to top Andress' iconic beach scene.
The career- making moment catapulted Andress, who was a relatively unknown actress at the time, to superstardom, and she has previously credited the bikini with 'making her a success'.
'As a result of starring in Dr. No as the first Bond girl, I was given the freedom to take my pick of future roles, and to become financially independent...' the Swiss actress said back in 2001.
' My entrance in the film wearing the bikini on that beautiful beach seems to now be regarded as a classical moment in cinema, and made me world famous as The Bond Girl.'
And of course the bikini itself earned its place among fashion's most famous designs, with Profiles in History's head of acquisitions Brian Chanes noting that the swimwear is ' regarded as the most famous bikini in the world'.
'It's one of the most memorable scenes in the entire Bond franchise,' he continued. ' It helped bikinis become more mainstream and it started the whole Bond girl phenomenon.'
It is not the first time that the bikini has gone under the hammer, having first been sold at auction by Andress herself in London in 2001, when it was won by Planet Hollywood co-founder Robert Earl for a relatively-paltry $45,000.