IN MEMORY OF: JANE BIRKIN

Image Credit: Steve Wood, Getty images

The British-French singer and actress, who also became a pioneer to fashion in the 1960’s and 70s, has sadly passed away at age 76 in her Parisian home.

Jane Birkin was born in London to French parents Judy Campbell and David Birkin. Here she became a French icon, making her acting debut in 1965 at age 19 with early roles in Kaleidoscope, a British comedy featuring Susannah York and Warren Beatty and Blow Up, a film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni.

Birkin was known as a wild child and gained recognition worldwide through her tumultuous relationship with French pop poet Serge Gainsbourg. Relocating to France at the end of the 1960s the pair were inseparable and created an album together with a steamy single ‘Je T’aime… moi non plus’ which topped the UK Charts. This track caused controversy worldwide through its sexually explicit lyrics with some countries banning the single on local radio stations.

The Birkin Legacy

The Birkin, a bag that symbolises status and wealth, with a reputation as the most sought after luxury bag, the Hermes Birkin was named after Jane herself. In 1983, the fashion house’s Chief Executive Jean-Louis Dumas collaborated with Birkin; when he saw her struggling with her straw basket on a flight they were both on. Birkin simply stated she had never found a leather bag that suited her and was large enough to fit everything she needed and alas, the creation of the Birkin began. Today these bags are shown off by wealthy individuals, celebrities and influencers including the Kardashians, Jennifer Lopez and Victoria Beckham.

Image Credit: Photo by David Thorpe/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

As an passionate activist, Jane momentarily wanted to end her relationship with Hermes in 2015 and put a stop to her name being so closely attached to the bags in response to her understanding that there were unethical practices used to create crocodile skin Birkins. The fashion house however, responded to Birkin’s concerns stating they looked into the practices being used by the fashion house and ensured they committed to only ethical treatment and work with specific farms who enforce such practices.

Birkin would go on to accessorise her bags with embellishments, charms and keychains to make it feel more personal and place her own creative twist on her different bags. The trend “Jane Birkin Effect” has circulated around TikTok and inspired many others to follow along with this trend, decorating their own handbags with accessories draped around the handles. Birkin stated in a CBS interview ‘I hang my watch on it and all my bracelets, when I walk, they jingle’. Next time you are styling your outfit, get creative and level up your bag like Ms Birkin herself.

Her style was known to be bohemian and scandalous for its time, making a point that fashion extends further than the clothes themselves but your attitude whilst wearing them. Anna Sui commented on her passing stating ‘She set a style example for a generation of women’. From cut off ¾ jeans to babydoll dresses Birkin invented her own sense of style, a hybrid of English and French codes, which captured the attention of individuals worldwide. May we always remember her and the most amazing legacy she leaves behind.

Image Credit: Masatoshi Okauchi/Rex/REX USA