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10 Amazing Jane Birkin quotes to inspire you
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10 Amazing Jane Birkin quotes to live by

"A Birkin bag is a very good rain hat; just put everything else in a plastic bag."

FRANCE - CIRCA 1960: Portrait of Jane Birkin, taken in the Sixties. (Photo by REPORTERS ASSOCIES/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Natalie Salmon
Fashion Digital Editor
16 July 2023
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Renowned singer, actress, and fashion icon Jane Birkin has passed away at the age of 76. 

Although Jane Birkin was born in London, she gained prominence as a singer in French and later moved to France in the 1970s. The British-French star is recognised for her close personal and creative partnership with Serge Gainsbourg, which propelled her to international stardom after their hit song "Je t'aime... moi non plus." Originally intended for Gainsbourg's former girlfriend Brigitte Bardot, the duet, which was recorded in 1968, faced bans on radio stations in various countries and was condemned by the Vatican due to its overtly sexual lyrics. Nevertheless, it introduced the duo to a new global audience.

Serge GAINSBOURG and Jane BIRKIN arriving at the Artists Union's Gala, Paris, April 1969© Getty
Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin arriving at the Artists Union's Gala, Paris, April 1969

In addition to her career in music and acting, she made a name for herself as a model and became widely regarded as fashion icon. 

Why was the Birkin bag named after Jane Birkin?

Jane Birkin also served as the inspiration behind the famous ‘Birkin handbag’ by Hermès, which has gained worldwide popularity.  The concept for the Birkin handbag came about when Birkin, seated next to Jean-Louis Dumas, the CEO of Hermès at the time, accidentally spilled the contents of her bag during an Air France flight.

PARIS - JULY 8: Jane Birkin attends the Jean Paul Gaultier Spring/Summer 2005 Fashion Show during Paris Fashion Week on July 8, 2004 in Paris, France. (Photo by Michel Dufour/WireImage)© Michel Dufour
Jane Birkin with her eponymous bag

Expressing her dissatisfaction with the limited availability of spacious bags, particularly for mothers, Dumas promptly sketched a design for a large rectangular holdall with a burnished flap and saddle stitching, as recounted on the Hermès website. Thus, the iconic Birkin bag was born. 

What are some of Jane Birkin’s most famous quotes?

  1. "My mother was right: When you've got nothing left, all you can do is get into silk underwear and start reading Proust."
  2. "I'd rather live on my own than live with a face that looks at me with the wrong eyes."
  3. "My look is a cocktail. I'm not as nicely turned out as the French, but I don't care like the English."
  4. "Keep smiling - it takes 10 years off."
  5. "If you fall in love with a country and its people, that makes any country warm to you."
Jane Birkin at the premiere of Toute Une vie, May 19 1974, during Cannes© Getty
Jane Birkin at the premiere of Toute Une vie, May 19 1974, during Cannes
  1. "I only like boutiques."
  2. "People always like things that seem exotic."
  3. "I always hang things on my bags because I don't like them looking like everyone else's."
  4. "When you start recognising that you're having fun, life can be delightful."
  5. "A Birkin bag is a very good rain hat; just put everything else in a plastic bag."

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