To honour this English powerhouse, Tatler pays tribute to her legacy and round up some of her most memorable moments and achievements
Jane Birkin, the British actress, singer, and fashion icon who was the muse for the iconic Hermès Birkin bag, passed away in Paris at the age of 76. French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted his condolences, and called her “a French icon”, on Sunday night, July 16.
Child of an actress and a British naval officer, Birkin led a life guided by creativity and sensuality. She helped define female sexuality in the 1970s through both her work, private life, and public image. To remember and honour this icon, Tatler looks at five moments that exemplified Birkin’s approach to life.
Read more: Jane Birkin, actor and singer, dies aged 76
She inspired the Hermès Birkin bag
Back in the early 1980s, Birkin was upgraded by Air France on a flight to London and found herself seated next to Jean-Louis Dumas, the visionary chairman of Hermès. Fashion legend goes that while Birkin was placing her bag in the overhead compartment, all her personal belongings came tumbling out, and the encounter and conversation between the actress and Dumas that ensued resulted in the now-iconic Birkin bag.
While accounts vary, it is said that during that flight Birkin detailed exactly the kind of bag she needed: spacious enough to hold everything she needs, secure and stylish. An initial sketch was then drawn on a most unglamorous canvas: a sickness bag.
Today, a Birkin bag is considered a guaranteed investment, because they can only go up in value, and remains one of the luxury house’s most iconic designs.