World enews: How Jane Birkin inspired the most expensive bag in the world

Jane Birkin, style mogul and the namesake behind the most expensive bag in the world, has died at age 76.

On Sunday 16 July, the British-born actress and singer was found deceased inside her Paris apartment, with French President Emmanuel Macron confirming her death in a tweet, in which he described her “a French icon”.

The icon became the muse for Hermès’ archetypal accessory and defined the classic Parisian-chic look in the 70s.

Since Birkin’s unlikely 1981 run-in with the brand’s former chairman and head designer, she’s held the highest of honours in luxury fashion. The chance encounter happened when Birkin found herself on the same Air France flight as Hermès executive Jean-Louis Dumas when a bag that was holding her belongings broke and she angrily blamed Hermès for not making a big enough bag to fit her stuff.

She complained out loud, unaware that the brand’s artistic director was sitting directly next to her. Not long after, the French fashion house debuted the “Birkin bag,” only offered in a large size to satisfy her wishes.

Birkin recalled the consequential interaction in a 2020 interview with Christiane Amanpour from CNN, where she remembered: “I said: ‘Why don’t you make a bag that’s sort-of four times the [size of the] Kelly that you could just leave open and sort of half the size of my suitcase?’”

She continued: “He said: ‘well, draw it for me.’ And I think I drew it on the sick bag, a vomit bag in the aeroplane.”

Eventually, Dumas turned Birkin’s wishes into a reality. Before she went to purchase the accessory she inspired, Dumas told her she could have one free of charge if he could name it after her.

In a 2012 interview with Vogue, Birkin admitted the Hermès had paid her £30,000 for her annual royalty, but she opted to donate the money to her preferred charities.

“I got Hermès to fork out for my charities once I saw the fortune they were making. A certain amount of money every year goes straight to my charity and it will continue to after my death,” she said while speaking to WWD in 2011.

Hermès will continue to honour her legace by donating to Birkin’s preferred charities in the wake of her passing.

Known to cost upwards of $10,000, the Birkin bag is a status symbol as much as an emblem of the relationship between designer goods and practicality. With a waitlist and limited supply of this delicately crafted leather accessory, an air of exclusivity is achieved amongst the fortuitous owners. Vintage models from previous collections are priced and sold anywhere between $30,000 and $500,000 depending on their year, according to Sothebys.

These highly regarded handbags mesh conservative and mod fashion codes, celebrating the intersection between Birkin’s and Hermès’ styles. However, following a 2015 investigation into the brand by PETA, which revealed the treatment of crocodiles for their skin, Birkin requested that her name be removed from the bags that were made out of the animal.

“Jane Birkin has expressed her concerns regarding practices for slaughtering crocodiles. Her comments do not in any way influence the friendship and confidence that we have shared for many years. Hermès respects and shares her emotions and was also shocked by the images recently broadcast,” the fashion house said at the time.

Hermès respected her decision then, but she ended up dropping her request as she was satisfied with how the brand handled the situation, labelling it as an “isolated irregularity.” In a statement, the brand said: “Jane Birkin has advised us that she is satisfied by the measures taken by Hermès.”

She was known for her transcendent performances both on set and stage as a movie star and singer, respectively. However, Birkin’s “French girl” aesthetic will have forever affected the fashion industry’s perception of timeless looks.

Birkin was a trendsetter, but not in a cyclical way. She would don silk blouses with sheer tights, monochromatic pieces decorated with statement belts, and pendant necklaces. Birkin, who previously favoured large wicker baskets to hold her belongings instead of handbags, would wear a simple white T-shirt and vintage denim combination, taking the most effortless outfit making it elegant.

Following the creation of the Birkin bag, she was also looked to as the perfect example for how the expensive bag was meant to be used, with Birkin photographed with her own overflowing Hermès handbag on a number of occasions.

“I love the way she wears her bag… Carefree, nonchalant, unpretentious, so iconic,” one person tweeted, while another said: “A well-loved bag should show a little shamble.”