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On Sunday, July 16, France-based British singer, actor, and style icon Jane Birkin passed away at the age of 76 in her Paris home. The news was first reported by local French newspaper, Le Parisien. The cause of her death still remains undisclosed, although many believe that she succumbed to her existing health conditions.
Two years back, Jane Birkin’s health started to deteriorate when she suffered a stroke. With this, her public appearances reduced as well. In fact, she even canceled a series of concerts around France recently, citing health concerns.
In the aftermath of her death, French President Emmanuel Macron posted his tribute via Twitter. The tweet, which was written in French, when translated, reads as follows:
“Because she embodied freedom; because she sang the most beautiful words of our language, Jane Birkin was a French icon. A complete artist, her voice was as sweet as her engagements were fiery. She bequeaths us tunes and images that will never leave us.”
A celebrated Francophile, Jane Birkin is best remembered for inspiring the Hermes Birkin handbag. As per the New York Times, once, during an airplane journey, when the handbag she was using broke, she uttered how she wishes Hermes would make a bag that could contain all her essentials.
As fate would have it, her yearning was heard by her co-passenger, who happened to be the then-head designer of Hermes. This was what eventually led to the Birkin bag.
Jane Birkin reportedly drew a rough sketch of the Birkin Bag for Hermes' head-designer
As per Jane Birkin’s 2010 interview with The New York Times Style Magazine, the historic Hermes Birkin bag was born right after an incident that happen aboard a flight from Paris to London in the 1980s. She recalled:
“I was on an airplane when a straw bag holding all my things broke and everything fell out—my date book, papers, everything.”
Incidentally, Jean-Louis Dumas, the chief executive and lead designer of French luxury goods brand Hermes was sitting next to her and heard her saying how she wished Hermes would create a spacious, secure, and stylish bag that would fit all her things. In fact, as per a 2018 interview with CNN, Birkin also went on to produce a rough sketch of the bag on the plane's "vomit bag."
What happened next was Dumas took charge of creating a big-sized handbag to fulfill the wishes of the singer-actor.
By then, Hermes already had the Kelly bag, named after Grace Kelly, the iconic American actress, and Monegasque princess. Therefore, after a few months, the unique, fashionable, and practical Birkin bag was launched in 1984.
It was a big black rectangular tote bag with a single compartment, but bigger pockets inside and at the back. It was handmade from leather and went on to sell a million pieces. The fashion-forward handbag was considered a symbol of wealth and high status as it was expensive and exquisite.
Its design was based on the earlier Haut a Courroies design of Hermes, which came out in 1900.
Jane Birkin used the Birkin bag for a major part of her life. However, in July 2015, the PETA supporter asked Hermes to take her name away from the bag after the brand started using exotic crocodile leather. Over the years, the Birkin bag has been priced anywhere between $11000 to six figures and even sold at auctions.
As reported by NPR, the singer reportedly also signed a deal that donates part of the bag's sales directly to charity - something that is expected to continue even after her death.
Jane Birkin’s relationship with France
Jane Birkin moved to France from England as a 19-year-old single mother in 1968, after splitting from her first husband John Barry, the James Bond composer. The couple had a daughter, Kate, who died in 2013 at the age of 46.
Within a year of her arrival in France, Birkin featured in a French musical called Slogan in 1969, alongside her future partner and actor-singer Serge Gainsbourg.
In 2018, she told Vogue in an interview that her chance encounter with Serge made her heal from her past trauma and made her feel “absolutely wonderful.” In 1971, the couple was blessed with a daughter named Charlotte. However, the duo broke up in 1980.
Later, she was also romantically involved with French filmmaker Jacques Doillon and together they had a daughter named Lou in 1982.
Apart from inspiring Hermes’ Birkin bag, she is also remembered for her 1976 song Je t’aime…moi non plus, which eventually became a freedom anthem worldwide. It was part of a 1969 duet album by her and her long-time partner Serge Gainsbourg, called Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg.
Jane Birkin is survived by her daughters, Charlotte and Lou.
