Jane Birkin‘s death, aged 76, is all over the news. After battling cancer for years, she passed away in Paris. Actress, model, and singer, Jane was one of the most idolized faces of the 1960s, of course, thanks to her beauty and talent.

Although she is associated with French culture, she was born in England and made her film debut in a small and striking scene in the classic Blow Up. She became legendary due to her relationship with Serge Gainsbourg, with whom she lived for 11 years. Together they recorded an album with the (at the time) shocking Je T’Aimes, Moi Non Plus. She is also the muse of one of Hermes‘ most famous and expensive bags: the Birkin. So from every angle, Jane Birkin was an icon.

Jane was born into London’s high intellectual circle, the daughter of actress Judy Campbell, muse of writer Noël Coward. Her father, David Birkin, was a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy and a spy during the Second World War. She has stood out since she started her acting career at the age of 17. Her fame was defined when she starred in a film alongside Brigitte Bardot, If Don Juan Were a Woman, in 1973.

Before marrying Gainsbourg, aged just 21, Jane had already been married and divorced from composer John Barry, father of the first of her three daughters (she has Charlotte with Gainsbourg and another from her third marriage). It’s a lie that they recorded Je T’Aimes, Moi Non-Plus in bed, but the version of the story ‘stuck’ and she regretted and laughed at the same time knowing that whenever she was mentioned, the song would be quoted.

The Hermes bag also yields stories. Today, still considered the most expensive in the world, it was created in 1984 by the brand’s chief executive, Jean-Louis Dumas, after traveling with Jane between London and Paris and hearing her complain about never finding a leather bag she liked, so I used straw. Thus, a black leather suitcase, inspired by a Hermès design from the 1900s. In 2015, the actress fell out with Hermes over the use of crocodile skin in some versions, asking them to remove her name because she supported PETA.

Jane Birkin’s life has always been marked by originality and daring, as well as sadness. She and Barry’s daughter passed away in 2013 after falling from her Paris apartment. In 2021, Jane suffered a stroke but apparently recovered. She was found dead at her home in Paris. The affection of the fans confirms her unique passage in world culture. Rest in peace.

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