Jane Birkin is no more
And what about the Birkin Bag?
I don't need to give a eulogy about Jane Birkin, you've read that long ago. A stylish singer and actress, the epitome of je-ne-sais-quoi-chic is no more. I thought she was still in her sixties, but she was 75, her style had once again thrown sand in my eyes regarding her age. She will be remembered for a hundred things, but the Birkin Bag will always remind people of the great, cool, authentic Jane Birkin.
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Where did the Birkin Bag come from?
The Kelly Bag only got that name later (it was called the Sac a dépêches) because Grace Kelly wore it so often. She even once hid her pregnant belly behind it to distract the paparazzi. The Birkin Bag was specifically designed for Jane Birkin. Why? The then-designer of Hermès, Jean-Louis Dumas, was sitting next to her on a flight from London to Paris. There, Jane Birkin tried to stuff her full wicker bag into the overhead compartment. Half of the contents fell down while she complained about not being able to find a nice bag that fit exactly what you needed for a weekend away. That was the cue for Dumas to design a bag for her: the Birkin Bag.
Was she happy with it?
Medium. Quite a bit, really, but she covered it with stickers (must be French nonchalance, but I find it spitting in the church) and she complained that it was so heavy. A few years ago, Hermès was no longer allowed to use her name for the Birkins made of crocodile leather, because she could not agree with the inhumane way of skinning.
Most exclusive bag in the world
Due to the price tag (a little Birkin starts at 8000 euros) and the long waiting list (there's even a waiting list for the waiting list), the Birkin is one of the most exclusive bags in the world. Was Jane Birkin proud of it? Probably. Definitely. But you know Parisian women by now: she probably didn't spend much more than a ‘pas mal’ on it.
