AT HOME WITH B.B.: Straw baskets, a bicycle and a pair of Repetto ballet flats might evoke Brigitte Bardot in her superstar era.
Meanwhile a typewriter, annotated books, guitars and a self-portrait speak of the artistic heart of the French actress-turned-animal rights advocate, who died last December at the age of 91.
Both facets of Bardot will be at the heart of a Sept. 21 sale organized by French auction house Millon.
“Brigitte Bardot, From Idol to Icon,” the proceeds from which will go to the foundation as well as Bardot’s son Nicolas-Jacques Charrier from her marriage with French actor Jacques Charrier, takes a more intimate approach to the French star through 285 items drawn from her homes in Paris and Saint-Tropez.
A view inside her home at La Madrague in the South of France.
Courtesy of Millon / MADS Communication
Highlights include a Mellerio ring set with a 3.67-carat diamond, a heart pendant by Fred engraved with the name of sculptor Miroslav Brozek, also known professionally as Mirko, and an 18-karat charm bracelet believed to have been worn at her wedding to Charrier.
Drawn from her private wardrobe are finds such as amber sunglasses, wide-brimmed hats, a black dress, Maud Frizon pumps, a Stella McCartney bag and a Sonia Rykiel ensemble, as well as two bottles of Guerlain’s L’Heure Bleue perfume, which she is said to have always carried in her purse.
Artworks including ink drawings from the likes of Charles Kiffer and Jean-Jacques Sempé will be juxtaposed with what Bardot called “trinkets,” such as boxes, trays, ashtrays, lighters and plenty of clocks, as she insisted on having them in every room.
“The objects presented are those she particularly cherished because they represent her second life,” said Ghyslaine Calmels, managing director of the Fondation Brigitte Bardot. The executive said the sale gave insight into an intimate part of Bardot’s life as well as her commitment to the causes dear to her.
Jewelry and accessories from the Millon sale.
Brigitte Bardot by Getty Images and Products by Courtesy of Millon
Estimates start at around 30 euros for a trio of framed articles about Bardot when she chose to focus her energies on animals and go up to the 5,000- to 10,000-euro bracket for a Sempé caricature dedicated to her. A sketch she did of then-husband Roger Vadim and her self-portrait are estimated at between 80 and 300 euros.
Prior to the sale, they will be on display in an exhibition running Sept. 15 to 20 at the Drouot auction house in Paris, which is hosting Millon’s sale.
