PARIS, FRANCE: Actress, singer and fashion icon Jane Birkin has died at age 76. The 76-year-old star was 'found dead by a caregiver' in Paris. Birkin had been in poor health in recent years and suffered a stroke in 2021. However, the actress' last public appearance was at the premiere of the documentary 'Jane by Charlotte,' about Birkin's relationship with her daughter Charlotte.
Birkin spent nearly six decades in the limelight in France, to which she moved at just 20 years old and without knowing the French language. She was popularly regarded as France’s favourite 'anglaise.' The London-born star was widely admired for her fashion style. She was also known for her musical and romantic relationship with French singer Serge Gainsbourg. Her films included roles in 1966's 'Blow-Up' and 1978's 'Death on the Nile.'
How did Jane Birkin die?
British singer and actress Birkin has died at her home in Paris following a long battle against cancer. Birkin's health hit headlines back in 2002 when she was diagnosed with Leukaemia, which she had described as a 'not very painful cancer'. However, in May 2023, Jane cancelled a series of concerts when her health got worse. She said at the time, "I have always been a great optimist, and I realise that I still need a little time to be able again on stage and with you." The London-born singer also suffered a stroke in 2021 and was forced to cancel several concerts that year. She cancelled shows again last March after breaking her shoulder blade. She is survived by two daughters, the singer and actor Charlotte Gainsbourg, born in 1971, and Lou Doillon, also an actor, born in 1982. She also had a daughter, Kate, who was born in 1967 and died in 2013 of suicide.
Jane Birkin: The muse behind Hermes bags
The star is famously known as the inspiration behind the Birkin bag, a designer purse made by Hermès. The exclusive bags, which retail for $9,000 to $500,000 and are difficult to come by, are beloved by celebrities such as the Kardashians, Cardi B, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Victoria Beckham and Lady Gaga. However, the famous bag got into existence on a late-night flight from Paris to London. Birkin was carrying her signature wicker basket to hold her personal essentials in first class, next to Jean-Louis Dumas, then the artistic director and CEO of Hermès. However, Birkin's contents spilled in front of Dumas, including her Hermès diary as she placed her straw bag in the overhead compartment. Dumas helped Birkin in collecting her things and joked that she needed a handbag with pockets. The actress sarcastically replied that the day Hermès made a large everyday bag that could hold all the items a busy mother carried, she would give up her signature oversized basket in its favour while also explaining her everyday struggles. Dumas incorporated Birkin's feedback and drew the very first sketches of the Birkin bag on an aeroplane sickness bag. In 1984, the first bag from Hermes was released and it was named after Birkin. Today, the Birkin bag comes in different sizes and in a variety of leather and exotic skins.
Jane Birkin's romantic affairs throughout the year
Besides her starring roles and acoustics, Birkin has also been known for the ups and downs of her relationship. The late actress married 'James Bond' composer John Barry, at the age of 18. Birkin had a daughter, Kate, with John but the marriage lasted only three years. She crossed the Channel in 1968, at the age of 22, to star in a film alongside Mr Gainsbourg, who was 18 years older. Birkin and Gainsbourg instantly sparked the connection and started dating each other. They soon become France's most famous couple, in the spotlight as much for their bohemian and hedonistic lifestyle as for their work. The couple, who never wed, became well known for their hedonistic party lifestyle, including much drinking and smoking. Birkin and Gainsbourg separated after the 13-year-old relationship in 1980, with Ms Birkin continuing to appear in films, and she recorded solo albums. They had a daughter, Charlotte, who herself became a hugely successful actress and singer. Besides Charlotte and Kate, Ms Birkin had another daughter, singer Doillon, from her 13-year relationship with French director Jacques Doillon. But Birkin and Jacques eventually parted ways in the 1990s. Since then Birkin was living her single life while focusing on her career and her grandkids.
