Jane Birkin, the renowned actor and singer known for her English grace, natural style, and social activism, has passed away at the age of 76.
Born in London, Birkin captured the hearts of the French people with her musical partnership and romantic relationship with French singer Serge Gainsbourg. Their famous duet “Je t’aime moi non plus” (“I Love You, Me Neither”) in 1969 showcased Birkin’s ethereal, British-accented voice intertwined with Gainsbourg’s gruff baritone. The song faced controversy in Italy after being condemned in the Vatican newspaper.
Birkin’s iconic fashion sense during the 1960s and early 1970s, characterized by long hair with bangs, jeans paired with white tops, knit mini dresses, and basket bags, continues to epitomize French chic for women worldwide.
Birkin also became synonymous with the Hermes bag named after her. Created by the Paris fashion house in 1984 as a tribute to her, the Birkin bag became one of the most exclusive luxury items in the world, commanding a high price and an extensive waiting list.
In a 2018 interview with “CBS Sunday Morning,” Birkin humorously acknowledged that she might be best known for the bag.
“When I went to America, in some interview they said, ‘You mean Birkin, like the bag?’ I said, ‘Well, now, the bag is going to sing!’ I thought, ‘Oh my, my obituary will say, “Like the bag” or something,'” Birkin joked with CBS News correspondent Anthony Mason.
Mason commented, “It’s funny that, after all this, you might be known for a bag.”
Birkin replied, “I might. Well, it could be worse.”
In addition to her artistic endeavors, Birkin was admired for her political activism, including her support for Amnesty International, Myanmar’s pro-democracy movement, the battle against AIDS, and other causes.
“You can always do something,” Birkin said in 2001, rallying support for an Amnesty campaign against torture. “You can say, ‘I am not OK with that.'”
In 2008, she participated in a march through the Cannes Film Festival alongside five monks, demanding Myanmar to accept foreign aid workers for cyclone victims.
In 2022, she joined fellow screen and music stars in France in cutting off locks of their hair to support protesters in Iran. Birkin’s daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, who is also an actor, snipped off a piece of her mother’s hair for the “HairForFreedom” campaign as Iran experienced anti-government protests.
French President Emmanuel Macron praised Birkin as a “complete artist,” highlighting the synergy between her gentle voice and fervent activism.
“Jane Birkin was a French icon because she embodied freedom and sang the most beautiful lyrics of our language,” he tweeted.
A statement from the French Culture Ministry confirmed Birkin’s passing, describing her as a “timeless Francophone icon.”
Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak referred to Birkin as “the most French British person” and “the emblem of an entire era that never went out of style.”
Outside Birkin’s residence on Paris’ Left Bank, fans gathered to mourn her loss.
“She was a poet, a singer, an artist,” said Marie-Jo Bonnet. “She gave the best of herself, and that is marvelous.”
Birkin’s early film credits include “Blow-Up” in 1966, which introduced French audiences to her captivating “Swinging Sixties” style and beauty.
Birkin and Gainsbourg met two years later, and even after their separation in 1980, she remained his muse. She had a daughter, Kate, with James Bond composer John Barry. Tragically, Kate Barry passed away in 2013 at the age of 46. Birkin also had a third daughter, Lou Doillon, who is a singer and model, with French director Jacques Doillon.
In recent years, Birkin faced health challenges that limited her performances, resulting in fewer public appearances.
According to French broadcaster BFMTV, Birkin suffered a minor stroke in 2021, leading her to cancel shows that year. She also canceled her shows in March due to a broken shoulder blade.
She had plans to return to performing in the fall, assuring her fans that she would see them again soon.
Despite her illustrious career in film and music spanning several decades, Birkin suspected that some people may remember her primarily for the bag named after her.
The birkin bag’s origins can be traced back to a fortuitous encounter on a flight bound for London in the 1980s. Birkin struck up a conversation with the then-head of Hermes, Jean-Louis Dumas, after accidentally spilling some items on the cabin floor. In subsequent interviews, Birkin revealed that she asked Dumas why Hermes didn’t produce a larger handbag and even sketched out her desired design on an airplane vomit bag. Impressed, Dumas had a prototype made for her and sought her approval to commercialize the bag under her name.
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