The iconic actor, singer and It girl Jane Birkin was found passed away at her home in Paris, the French culture ministry confirmed on Sunday evening.
Birkin, who was born in London in 1946, relocated to France in the 1970s after finding fame singing in French. She was a style icon in the late 1960s and 1970s thanks to her messy fringe, mini-dresses and flared jeans.
A major mainstream connection to Birkin and her enduring image is that she was the inspiration for one of Hermès’ most popular handbags, the Birkin, which was named after the star back in 1984.
After being known to carry a hand-woven straw basket with her everywhere, a chance encounter on a flight from Paris to London where she just so happened to be seated next to Hermès’ chief executive at the time, Jean-Louis Dumas, led to him creating the original Birkin bag for her.
Her relationship with the late French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, who died in 1991, was famed and admired. Their song together, Je t'aime... moi non plus, was a worldwide hit.
Their tumultuous relationship lasted for 12 years before they separated in 1980.
