Jane Birkin, a vocalist, actress, and fashion icon, passed away at the age of 76. The English-French star was known for her personal and artistic relationship with songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, recording the iconic song “Je T’aime…moi non plus” with him.
In addition, she was the inspiration for the ubiquitous Birkin purse by Hermès. Birkin was born in London but relocated to France in the 1970s, where she rose to prominence singing in French.
Their classic tune “Je t’aime… moi non plus” which he originally wrote for his ex-girlfriend Brigitte Bardot made her internationally famous.
After meeting on the set of the film Slogan, they recorded the duet in 1968.
It was forbidden from radio in several countries and condemned by the Vatican due to its overtly erotic lyrics, but it introduced the duo to a global audience.
French President Emmanuel Macron referred to Jane Birkin as a “French icon” and a “complete artist” who “bequeathed us songs and images that will never be forgotten.”
Prime Minister of France Elisabeth Borne stated that she “transcends generations.”
Gainsbourg, who was 18 years older than Birkin, continued to write tunes for her years after their breakup. During their 12-year relationship, Birkin and Gainsbourg were married.
The couple had a daughter, award-winning actress and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg. Their relationship has been described as “tumultuous” on numerous occasions, and in her 2020 diaries, Birkin wrote about violence between them as well as Gainsbourg’s intoxication.
But she frequently defended the man she became so closely associated with, including in a 2020 Times interview in response to claims by a vocalist that he was a “harasser,” and she continued to promote his work long after his death in 1991.
Last year, when asked by the same newspaper about their lifestyle, she responded, “I don’t know how simple it was for the children to have a mother who appeared nude in magazines and a father who burned 500 franc notes. I pray some things were done correctly.”
In 1981, the couple separated, and Birkin maintained her acting and singing career, publishing albums such as Baby Alone in Babylone in 1983 and Amour des Feintes in 1990.
Jane Birkin was also a model and became widely regarded as a fashion trendsetter, inspiring Hermès, a French luxury brand, to produce the Birkin purse in 1984.
Birkin was seated next to Jean-Louis Dumas, the then-CEO of Hermès, on an Air France flight when she accidentally spilled the contents of her purse.
Dumas “immediately sketched a soft and spacious rectangular holdall with a burnished flap and saddle stitching” after lamenting the dearth of large purses on the market, particularly for mothers, according to the Hermès website.
Thus, the Birkin was created. Some models of this exclusive handbag cost tens of thousands of dollars and have months-to-years-long waiting lists.
The design became a fashion phenomenon and generated numerous imitations, but in 2006, Birkin told the Guardian, “I love it, but I carry so much in it that I believe it is a contributing factor to my tendonitis.”
Throughout her life, Birkin advocated for numerous causes, including requesting in 2015 that Hermès remove her name from its products due to animal welfare concerns.
Prior to relocating to France and meeting Gainsbourg, Birkin was married until the late 1960s to the British composer John Barry.
Their daughter, fashion photographer, and Vogue employee Kate Barry, died in 2013 at the age of 46.
The musician, model, and actress Lou Doillon is Birkin’s third daughter from her 1980s relationship with French film director Jacques Doillon.
Films starring Birkin include the 1966 classic Blow Up, 1978’s Death on the Nile, and 1982’s Evil Under the Sun.
Jane Birkin released a self-written album titled Arabesque in 2002 and a compilation of live recordings titled Jane at the Palace in 2009.
The British ambassador to France, Menna Rawlings, paid tribute to her on Twitter, calling her “the most French of British artists.”
In the late 1990s, she was treated for leukemia, and in September 2021, it was reported that she had suffered a stroke, compelling her to cancel an appearance at an American film festival.
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