Jane Birkin’s Legacy of Timeless Fashion and Creative Expression
By Rhylee Hudson
Image Sourced through Pinterest; Jane Birkin
Jane Birkin, born in London, was a French actress, musician, and fashionista – typically known for the conception of the Birkin bag by Hermès. Often described as a French “it girl” for her eternal embodiment of Parisian chic and remembered for her bold creative expression, Birkin’s enduring impact on fashion persists into the modern day. Her life was full of artistic experiences and activism – yet her legacy raises the question: how is a French actress and singer from the late 1960s to 1970s still influencing modern fashion? The answer is simple: Jane Birkin was unapologetically herself. No one could tell her how to wear something or what to wear. Birkin knew what she liked, and that's what she wore. Months after her passing, her 76 years of life have and will continue to live with us for decades.
Early Life
Born in Marylebone, London, on December 14th, 1946, Jane Mallory Birkin was destined for stardom. Her mother, Judy Campbell, was an English film, television, and stage actress, while her father was a Royal Navy lieutenant. As a young student, Birkin was often picked on for her appearance because she was deemed "boyish.” Before she made her mark on the entertainment and fashion industries, she married composer John Barry in 1965 and had her first daughter, Kate, in 1967. Birkin and Barry divorced in 1968, so Jane moved back to London with her parents and began encompassing the Jane Birkin we know today.
Cinematic Peak
Her first role in a film was The Knack and How to Get It (1965), and then she had a minor part in Blow-Up (1966), directed by Michelangelo Antonio, as a blonde model. Although she started by playing smaller roles, Birkin quickly became a superstar. Her growing fame allowed her to score more notable parts, and eventually, she landed the lead female role in Slogan – where Serge Gainsbourg and Birkin starred in their first film together. After this film, Birkin began collaborating with Gainsbourg, whom she was with for 13 years. Gainsbourg encouraged her to stay in France and call Paris her home. While staying in France with Gainsbourg, she became more successful and eventually had a second daughter, Charlotte. Her relationship with Gainsbourg was not purely romantic but creative and professional, as their collaborative work propelled Birkin into a position of fame and influence.
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Music & Advocacy
Birkin's music career, marked by her collaborations with Gainsbourg, left a lasting impact on French pop culture and the music industry. Their debut together, the album "Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg" and its controversial single "Je t’aime… moi non plus," exemplify how Birkin's ethereal vocals and Gainsbourg's provocative songwriting merged to create hits that challenged societal norms its explicit content but ultimately sold millions. The song, originally written for Brigitte Bardot, became a global sensation due to Birkin's breathy, seductive vocal delivery and Gainsbourg's provocative lyrics despite facing widespread bans and moral outrage.
Birkin's impact extended beyond her collaborations with Gainsbourg, as she continued to explore and experiment with her musical identity in the decades that followed. Songs like "Ex-Fan Des Sixties" reflect a nostalgic yet critical engagement with the past, while "Amour Des Feintes" showcases her ability to convey complex emotional landscapes, proving her versatility as an artist.
Even with her success in the entertainment industry, Birkin was a prominent activist for social and political issues, including animal welfare, women's rights, oppression, anti-capital punishment, and more. She campaigned against far-right France by denouncing the qualification of Jean-Marie Le Pen in the second round of the 2002 election. In 2018, she was one of 200 people to sign an open letter called “The Greatest Challenge in the History of Mankind,” which pleaded with politicians to act quickly and efficiently to fight climate change.
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The Iconic Hermès Bag Creation
In 1984, the Hermès Birkin bag was released. Funny enough, the idea for the large tote came after an interaction on a plane between Jane Birkin and Jean-Louis Dumas, the head designer and chairman of Hermès. This whole conversation arose because Birkin had a bag seemingly overflowing with items, and it broke. She complained that her small Hermès Kelly bag could not fit everything she needed, so she needed a spacious, secure, and stylish alternative. Birkin even sketched her vision of an all-purpose, luxury tote on an airplane sickness bag. According to a Vogue interview from 2012, Jane said, “When everything fell out of whatever bag I had, the man next to me said, “you should have one with pockets.” I said, “the day Hermès makes one with pockets I will have that.” And he said: “but I am Hermès, and I will put pockets in for you.”‘
Dumas took Birkin's suggestions about what should be fixed with the bag and organized a sit-down meeting where Birkin sketched a bag that was four times bigger than the iconic Kelly bag. This eventually turned into the legendary Birkin bag. Whenever she carried her Birkin, Jane always had a large amount of stuff in it. Whether that was papers, make-up, or books, it was consistently full. Known for the bag and its ability to hold many items, Birkin’s purse was always filled and customized to fit her fun personality.
Since its inception, the Birkin remains the “it” bag of modern luxury fashion, deemed the most highly coveted handbag in history. Hermès only releases a limited number of Birkin bags per year as part of their exclusive marketing strategy. Over time the brand started to give her an annual payment each year which she donated to charities of her choice. Trending hashtags like #hermesunboxing and #unboxingofbirkin have 236.3 million and 82.1 billion views on TikTok respectively.
Awards and Honors
Due to Birkin’s large presence in European cinema, she has received many awards for her acting and performances. Her film Dust won the Silver Lion Prize, and her performance was acknowledged as wonderful. However, she won “Best Actress" for her performance in the 1985 film Leave All Fair at the Orleans Film Festival. Birkin was also given honors from the Prince of Wales and the British Empire while being appointed the Ordre des Arts et Lettres as a Chevalier. Last but not least, she was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun in 2018 for her efforts in promoting cultural exchanges from Japan to France.
Family-Oriented Jane
Even with her fashion and fame, Birkin was a family woman. She had three daughters, Kate Barry, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Lou Dillion. Her three girls were her pride and joy, so in 2013, when her firstborn Kate had passed away, her world was shaken. She often spoke about how painful it was to lose her daughter and to witness her other two daughters grieve for their beloved sister. She considered some of her later music extremely painful because it was a direct reflection of her pain. A light in this darkness was the film Jane by Charlotte, a documentary made by Birkin’s middle daughter. In this film, they mend their rocky relationship while growing closer as mother and daughter.
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Lasting Legacy
Birkin's way of life and style has been carried for years and will continue to move with us through time after her death this July. Her timeless pieces and style are one thing, but how she carried herself with grace, while always thinking about others is why it is so easy to see her as a fashion icon. She inspired many current trends, including ballet flats, statement belts, layered coats, funky handbags, and purses. Jane Birkin makes people feel as if what they think they are wearing is cool regardless of what others think.
Credit: Derek Hudson/Getty Images - A Look at the Extraordinary Life of Jane Birkin In Photos | Vanity Fair
