Henri-Jean Servat, the journalist who commissioned the new exhibition dedicated to Brigitte Bardot, described her as the 'It-Girl' before her time. I would go further and describe her as the 'Do-It' girl.

She was an actress, singer, dancer, model and animal activist. She made over 50 movies, 80 records and a number of musicals. Andy Warhol wrote "Every one will be famous for 15 minutes" but although BB, as she came to be known, retired at the age of 39 she is every bit as famous now as she was in her starring days. Her lifestyle then would easily populate the tabloids today and was widely blamed by parts of the French Establishment for being responsible for many of the social ills seen by some to be pervading the country. For reasons never explained she chose early retirement as a recluse rather than continuing in the public eye. Perhaps that is her secret? She is a woman of mystery and intrigue.

Brigitte Bardot became known as BB back in 1949 at the age of 14 when she appeared on the front page of the magazine 'Elle'. Because of her age, her mother believed it to be sensible to maintain a degree of anonymity. Her parents brought her up in bourgeois Paris and although they considered their daughter's choice of profession to be highly unsuitable, Brigitte's grandfather was able to persuade them otherwise. The rest is history as we know it. Her popularity became a phenomenon. She represented the gap between childhood and womanhood and made it her own personal space. With that, her niche market spread like wildfire. In fact it was all about space with BB. She occupied it well and left an everlasting impression everywhere she went and with anyone she met.

Brigitte was a nonconformist. She did what she pleased and acted the way that she wanted and yet even though she was considered to be the emblem of the liberated woman the western feminist movement of the time disapproved of her thoroughly, representing as she did the unattainable object of men's desire and women's envy. For my part I think she was smart in being able to fascinate, captivate and manipulate, and she turned the tables on male domination to shape her life on her own terms and without accepting any compromises.  If that's not being liberated, what is? How many women can do that today?

Brigitte Bardot is one of the last great icons of the twentieth century. She retired in 1973 at the age of 39 after a career spanning just over twenty years, to focus on her passion for animal welfare. Along with Marilyn Monroe and Princess Diana she proved the old adage that's it's best to quit while you're ahead, leaving them still begging for more. But she also proved that it's not necessary to "die in office" to achieve iconic status, for unlike these others she's still with us today, and although now very reclusive she still leaves her mark wherever she goes.

Bardot on Bardot