Jane Birkin, who died on Sunday at age 76, made her mark on French cinema and music, but she had just as much influence in the fashion world, serving as the inspiration behind Hermès’ best-selling handbag: the Birkin.
Released in 1984, the iconic tote has become a universal status symbol, with Birkins boasting record-high resale prices and countless celebrity collectors.
Recalling her influence on the brand, Birkin told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in a 2020 broadcast that after meeting Hermès executive Jean-Louis Dumas on an airplane, she sketched out the design on a sick bag. In need of a carry-all suitable for young mothers, she based her blueprint on one of the brand’s popular models.
“I said, ‘Why don’t you make a bag that’s four times the Kelly that you can leave open?’ Because girls like to have things on the end of their arm to put all their stuff in,” Birkin said.
Dumas added upon Birkin’s sketch by taking inspiration from Hermès’ Haut à Courroies bag. He eventually gifted the actress a black calfskin prototype of the Birkin, suggesting that the new purse be named after her. However, she wasn’t the French label’s first celebrity muse — Hermès renamed its Sac à dépêches after Grace Kelly in 1977.
Jane Birkin in 1990.
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“You know, when I’m dead, not only will people remember me for ‘Je t’aime moi non plus,’ but they’ll possibly only talk about the bag,” Birkin said in the same CNN interview.
The actress and singer’s very own Birkin went on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London as part of a 2021 exhibition titled “Bags: Inside Out.” The original tote is embossed with her initials.
Jane Birkin in 2013. Her Hermès bag is decorated with a sticker depicting Burmese political leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
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Birkin preferred to add unique touches to her handbag. Tapping into her passion for activism, she often covered it in stickers promoting her favorite causes. Birkin also accessorized its handles with beads, charms and ribbons.
Hermès is said to have paid approximately $40,000 in royalties to Birkin annually in exchange for the use of her name. She consistently donated this money to various charities.
Despite sharing its namesake, the actress only owned a few Birkins in her lifetime. She put one of them up for auction in 2014, donating the proceeds to Anno’s Africa, a nonprofit named after her late nephew. The same bag went up for sale again in 2021, where it fetched $162,000 at an auction hosted by Bonhams.
