Who was Jane Birkin? All about the woman who inspired the $10.1 million Hermès bag

Jane Birkin was a British and French actress, singer, and designer. She is widely known for her roles in French cinema and has a total of 16 studio albums under her belt.

However, Jane is not only popular for her discography and filmography, but she is also the icon behind the famous Hermès bags, a symbol of luxury in today's fashion world.

Jane Birkin started her acting career by playing small roles in films such as Blow Up and Kaleidoscope in 1966. While Jane acted in a majority of French films, a few of the English films she appeared in include Death on the Nile, Evil Under the Sun, and A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries. In 1969, she and Serge Gainsbourg released their debut album together called Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg.

In terms of her personal life, Birkin had a tumultuous romantic life. She was initially married to British composer and conductor John Barry, only to find out that he was a "cold and unfaithful husband." After Barry, Birkin started a relationship with French musician Serge Gainsbourg. The couple separated after twelve years because of Gainsbourg's alcoholism and violence. She proceeded to date French director Jacques Doillon and French writer Olivier Rolin, after Gainsbourg.

The late actress had three daughters. She shared her first daughter, Kate Barry, with John Barry. Her second child, Charlotte Gainsbourg, was with Serge Gainsbourg, and lastly, Lou Doillon was with Jacques Doillon's daughter.

How did Jane Birkin inspire the Hermès Birkin bag?

Back in 1983, when Jane Birkin was the "it-girl" of the decade, she had a chance encounter with Jean-Louis Dumas, who was the artistic director and CEO of Hermès at the time. They met on a flight from Paris to London.

According to reports, Birkin was moved to first class next to Hermès' CEO and artistic director. Jane Birkin, known for her straw wicker hat was trying to store her bag in the overhead cabin. In the process, all the items in her bag fell out, including her Hermès diary. Jean-Louis helped the actress out by collecting her things, and he joked that she needed a bag with pockets.

To this, Birkin replied that she would only give up her oversized straw hat if Hermès made a bag that was big enough to fit all the essentials of a working mother. This sparked an idea in Dumas, which led him to sketch the initial beginnings of the Birkin bag on an airplane sickness bag.

A year later, the first Birkin bag was released in 1984. Dumas gifted Jane a 40cm bag, and it retailed at $2000 at the time.

On July 10, the original Birkin bag was auctioned in Paris for $10.1 million, after 10 minutes of intense bidding. According to Morgane Halimi, who is Sotheby's global head of handbags and fashion. She said:

"The Original Birkin bag is a true one-of-a-kind — a singular piece of fashion history that has grown into a pop culture phenomenon that signals luxury in the most refined way possible."

Jane Birkin's legacy goes far beyond films and music. Her effortless style and charm inspired Dumas to create the iconic Hermès Birkin bag, which is now a global symbol of luxury.

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