Jane Birkin poses for photographers at a photo shoot for the film Jane By Charlotte at the 74th international film festival, in Cannes, France, in July 2021. The actress and singer died on Sunday.
Brynn Anderson/AP
hide captions
switch captions
Brynn Anderson/AP
Jane Birkin poses for photographers at a photo shoot for the film Jane By Charlotte at the 74th international film festival, in Cannes, France, in July 2021. The actress and singer died on Sunday.
Brynn Anderson/AP
Jane Birkin, the British actress, pop singer and the name of the Hermès Birkin handbag, passed away on Sunday. She was 76.
Born in London, Birkin is home to France, where she became an international star after starting a musical and romantic collaboration with French singer Serge Gainsbourg. Known for her eye-catching bangs and classic wardrobe, Birkin is the epitome of French chic.
French Ministry of Culture, confirm her deathcalled her “a timeless Francophone icon.”
Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak: “The British who speak the most French have disappeared” said in a tweet. “The mischievous Jane B, the insolent chic, the timeless icon of an entire era, a whispering voice remains our idol.”
Her acting credits include a small role in the 1966 crime rom-com kaleidoscope and the 1978 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile.
Birkin is married to James Bond composer for John Barry’s films from 1965 to 1968, with whom she had a daughter, Kate Barry. Kate, a photographer, passed away in 2013 aged 46 after falling from the window of her fourth-floor apartment in Paris.
In 1968, Birkin joined Gainsbourg with the breath-taking hit “Je T’aime… Moi Non Plus” (“I Love You… Me both”). The song has been banned from radio in several countries and condemned by the Vatican for its sexual innuendo and heavy breathing – which has only caused its popularity to skyrocket.
Birkin and Gainsbourg, who died in 1991, were together for 12 years but remained friends and collaborators after their split.
The Birkin bag, a luxury “it” bag known for its sky-high prices, was first created in 1984 for the actress by Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas. A few years ago, like NPR previously reported, Birkin found himself sitting next to Dumas on the flight to London. The actress, who is known for carrying around a straw basket to hold her essentials, told Dumas of her difficulty in finding the perfect sized weekend bag – a large one. than the Hermès “Kelly” handbag, but smaller than a suitcase. She pulled out the plane’s “vomit bag” and sketched out her idea for Dumas to see, she said in an interview. 2018 interview with CBS News. She jokes that she has become so synonymous with the famous bag that it will one day be the highlight of her obituary.
Birkin, also known for his activism, ask her name to be pulled from association with the famous crocodile skin version of the Birkin bag in 2015 out of concern about cruelty to animals. Birkin has auctioned his bags for years for a variety of purposes, including earthquake relief. She also said that she had an arrangement with the designer donating a portion of Hermès bag sales directly to charity, even after her death.
A person lays flowers at the house where Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg live, on Sunday, in Paris.
Christophe Ena/AP
hide captions
switch captions
Christophe Ena/AP
French media reported that the actress died at her home in Paris. Birkin suffered a mild stroke in 2021, New York Times reportand recently canceled concerts due to health issues.
“Because she embodies freedom, because she sings the most beautiful words in our language, Jane Birkin is a French icon,” wrote French President Emmanuel Macron. “A complete artist, her voice is as sweet as her commitments fire. She left us with melodies and images that will never leave us.”
“We will never forget her songs, her laughter or her one-of-a-kind voice that has always been with us,” tweeted Anne Hidalgomayor of Paris.
She left behind two daughters, one from her relationship with Gainsbourg and the other from her relationship with French film director Jacques Doillon: Singer-actress Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon.
NPR’s Eleanor Beardsley contributed to this story.
