A mechanical typewriter, a Peugeot bicycle, Le Creuset pots and a copy of the Kama Sutra — this is not an antique clearance sale, but part of a plan that Brigitte Bardot carefully laid out long before her own death. An auction at Drouot in Paris is putting items from two of the actress's houses in Saint-Tropez and her Parisian apartment up for sale, with the proceeds going to an animal protection fund that she founded back in 1986.
That's where the unexpected twist to this story lies: this is not a sentimental farewell exhibition, but a mechanism for financing a specific cause. The starting prices for most lots are up to 100 euros, meaning the organizers are consciously making the items accessible rather than turning the auction into an exclusive collector's club.
A Legend's Everyday Life Without Glamour
Among the lots are not only erotic portraits or diamond rings, which are predictably associated with the icon of the sexual revolution of the 1950s. Pots, lighters, religious statuettes and kitchen utensils show another side — a woman who spent decades living in her own home, not just on screen.
Two pairs of Repetto leather ballet flats are a story in themselves. Bardot, a former professional ballerina, once asked the brand to create an everyday version of ballet shoes — effectively launching a model that still sells millions of pairs worldwide today. This is a rare case when a star's personal whim turned into a mass-market product.
Each item put up for sale preserves the trace of some encounter, passion, moment of happiness or stage of her life. They tell the story of both the woman and the legend
That's how Bardot's secretary Frank Guiglion explained the logic behind selecting the lots: the auction is not trying to sell an image, but to show fragments of real life.
An Unfiltered Legacy
An honest take here requires acknowledging: Bardot is a controversial figure. A symbol of femininity and sexual freedom in the 1950s-60s, she later faced fines for racist remarks and criticism for homophobic statements. The auction does not attempt to hide this, but nor does it emphasize it — attention is focused on the objects rather than on biography.
The money from the sales will go two ways: to the animal protection fund to which Bardot devoted the last decades of her life, and to her only son Nicolas-Jacques Charrier, who will receive part of the inheritance. This is a rare case where a celebrity's personal belongings, after their death, continue to work for the cause she chose herself, rather than becoming museum exhibits.
The question that remains open is: will the starting prices of 100 euros hold up after bidding, or will Bardot's name, as always, drive the amounts up several times over — and will this be an indicator of interest in her legacy or interest in the "legend" brand?
