Known in France merely by her initials BB, Bardot tantalised audiences and scandalised moral authorities with her raw display of sexuality in the 1950s and '60s. She became a box-office phenomenon in the United States and helped to popularise foreign films with Americans at a time when censorship in Hollywood movies forbade frank discussions of sex, much less nudity

French film legend Brigitte Bardot has passed away at the age of 91. The news of her demise was announced by her foundation.

"The Brigitte Bardot Foundation pays tribute to the memory of an exceptional woman who gave everything and gave up everything for a world more respectful of animals," the foundation said.

"Her legacy lives on through the actions and struggles the Foundation continues with the same passion and the same fidelity to her ideals," the statement further read.

Known in France merely by her initials BB, Bardot tantalised audiences and scandalised moral authorities with her raw display of sexuality in the 1950s and '60s. She became a box-office phenomenon in the United States and helped to popularise foreign films with Americans at a time when censorship in Hollywood movies forbade frank discussions of sex, much less nudity.

Describing her impact, Life magazine said in 1961, "Everywhere girls walk, dress, and wear their hair like Bardot and wish they were free souls like her." Beyond her work in film and music, Bardot's distinctive fashion sense kept her at the forefront of popular culture throughout the latter half of the 20th century.

Her bleached blond hair, worn long and straight or up in a twist with tresses cascading down, as well as her penchant for casual, form-fitting outfits, kept her image contemporary-looking long after the '60s were over.

Jane Fonda and Julie Christie were among the actresses who would mimic her, while models such as Kate Moss and Claudia Schiffer would also copy her sexy, tousled look.

Retiring from film at 39 in 1973, Bardot turned her public profile toward animal advocacy.

"I gave my beauty and my youth to men, and now I am giving my wisdom and experience, the best of me, to animals," she told a crowd at a 1987 auction of her memorabilia to raise funds for the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for animal welfare, as per CNN.