Current Inspiration: Brigitte Bardot

"I'm a girl from a good family who was very well brought up. One day I turned my back on it all and became a bohemian." - Brigitte Bardot

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Born in 1934, Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot is a former French fashion model, actress, singer and animal rights activist.  Bardot was one of the best-known sex symbols of the 1960s.  Here are a few reasons why this triple-threat sticks out as a timeless character in my style-inspiration guide.

Brigitte's earliest aspirations were to concentrate on a ballet career, but in 1949 she was recruited to model in a fashion show, and later in that same year modelled in fashion magazine "Jardin des Modes".  By the age of 15, Bardot had already appeared on the cover of ELLE, was being noticed by movie directors for film roles, and from the years 1952 until 1973 the actress had a role in 45 films.  Brigitte Bardot was also a singer and author, making her an iconic triple-threat, releasing 17 albums and writing five books.  

Although Marilyn Munroe was responsible for inventing the blonde-bombshell, there's no denying that Bardot put a desireable French twist on the American original.  Her endless styles and outfits are a constant inspiration to runways and everyday looks alike.  Brigitte's style represents the carefree, laisez-faire lifestyle and she is credited with boosting the popularity of the bikini and the outrageously sexy hairstyles, like voluminous tousled curls and the beehive.

What is most appealing about Bardot, in my opinion, is how she used her fame to promote animal rights and welfare.  In 1986 she established The Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the Welfare and Protection of Animals and auctioned off her jewellry and personal belongings to raise money for the organization.  Brigitte has also donated more than $140,000 for a mass sterilization and adoption program for Bucharest's estimated 300,000 stray dogs.  She is planning to house many of these stray animals in a new animal rescue facility that she is having built on her property.

If more celebrities and figures of the rich and famous could be more like Brigitte Bardot, maybe we'd be futher inspired to live in a society filled with less money-obsessions and more empathy on the animals that need our help - and we'd look gorgeous while doing it of course.

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“I gave my beauty and my youth to men. I am going to give my wisdom and experience to animals” - Brigitte Bardot