The world of culture mourns this Sunday the London actress Jane Birkin, who has died at the age of 76 in Paris. According to the newspaper Le Parisien, she has been found dead at her home. She leaves an icon in the world of cinema and music, but also in that of fashion. In fact, many know the name Birkin, as she inspired the now famous Hermès bag, named after her last name. The iconic bag arose after a meeting on an airplane with the CEO of Hermès, Jean-Louis Dumas, as revealed by the actress in an interview back in 2010.
The sad news of the artist’s death comes two months after she was forced to cancel several concerts citing health problems. The interpreter of the famous song Je t’aime… moi non plus was recognized for her artistic skills, as well as for her good work in front of the cameras, but also for being an icon in the world of fashion. The actress set a fashion trend in the 70s with her hippy chic style, her minidresses, her flared jeans and her transparencies, a style still in force today and that has been taken up again in recent years.
But if the actress stands out for something in the world of fashion, it is for having given her name to one of the most iconic bags in the fashion industry. Birkin inspired the now famous Hermès bag of the same nickname. The iconic bag arose after a chance meeting on a plane in the ’80s with Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas. “I was on a plane when a plastic bag containing all my things broke and everything fell out: my diary, papers, everything,” she revealed in 2010 to The New York Times Style Magazine.
“Just when I was saying that I would like Hermès to make a bag that could fit all my stuff, it turned out that the man sitting next to me worked for Hermès: he was Jean-Louis Dumas, the lead designer,” she continued. “They already had the Kelly bag, which is named after Grace Kelly, so he started working on the Birkin bag. I went down to the shop and he had it made out of cardboard. We talked about it and I said they should make some changes, like make the pockets bigger And that’s how it was done,” he explained in the same interview.
It is a very exclusive piece that is usually worn by well-known faces such as Georgina Rodríguez – who has a huge collection of this model in various colors – or other prominent names, such as Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez or Victoria Beckham, among others. It is a very complete model, since in addition to being beautiful, it is practical to be able to store all the necessary objects during the day to day.
The Birkin manufacturing process is extremely complex, and can take up to five weeks. They are made to suit the customer, so it is impossible to find them in Hermès stores. It is one of the most exclusive pieces on the market, and they are made with a rare traditional leather. They are usually large and decorated with a compartment in which any essential can fit. The best-selling Birkin model is the large one, 40 centimeters long.
The death of Jane, as we said, is not only a severe setback in the world of culture, but also in fashion, which says goodbye to the person who has given her name and has contributed to the creation of one of the most exclusive pieces from the world of luxury accessories. The world loses an excellent artist, but also a fashion visionary.
