Actor, singer and fashion icon Jane Birkin dies at 76
Jane Birkin, the French-born actor and singer who captivated France with her British grace, natural style and social activism, has died at the age of 76.
The London-born star and fashion icon was known for her musical and romantic relationship with French singer Serge Gainsbourg. Their songs, in particular, included the hot “Je t’aime moi non plus” (“I Love You, Me Neither”). Her 1969 duet, which intertwined Birkin’s ethereal British accent with her sullen baritone, made her a household name, but was banned in Italy after she was denounced by the Vatican newspapers. rice field.
Birkin’s style of the 1960s and early 1970s, long hair with bangs, jeans paired with white tops, knitted mini dresses and basket bags, still epitomizes French chic for many women around the world. doing.
Birkin was also synonymous with her namesake Hermès bags. Created in her honor by her house of fashion in Paris in 1984, her Birkin bag has become one of the world’s most exclusive luxury items and has been priced like a stratosphere for years. A waiting list has been created.
and 2018 “CBS Sunday Morning” interview, Birkin joked that this bag might be her most famous.
“When I went to America, I don’t know in which interview they said, ‘You mean a Birkin like a bag?’ . “Oh my God, my obituary is going to say ‘I loved the bag’ or something like that,” Birkin told Anthony Mason, senior cultural and senior national correspondent for CBS News. .
“It’s pretty funny that after all this you’re being known for your bags,” Mason said.
“Maybe so. Well, it could be worse,” said Mr. Birkin.
In France, where he was adopted, Birkin was also celebrated for his political activism, Amnesty International, the democracy movement in Myanmar, the fight against AIDS and other causes.
“You can always do something,” Birkin said in 2001, inspiring support for Amnesty International’s campaign against torture. She “can say ‘I’m not OK with that.'”
She marched with five monks at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival to demand that Myanmar allow foreign aid workers to enter to help cyclone victims.
In 2022, she joined other French film and music stars in cutting off her hair in support of Iranian protesters. Birkin and Gainsbourg’s daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, an actor herself, cut off part of her mother’s hair for her “HairForFreedom” campaign as Iran was embroiled in anti-government protests.
French President Emmanuel Macron hailed Birkin as a “perfect artist” and noted that her soft voice went hand in hand with her “fervent” activism.
“Jane Birkin was a symbol of France because she was the embodiment of freedom and sang the most beautiful words of our language,” he tweeted.
French media reported that Birkin was found dead in his Paris home. The French Ministry of Culture tweeted that Birkin died on Sunday. The magazine hailed her as “her timeless French-speaking icon”.
Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak called Birkin “the most French Briton” and “a symbol of an entire era that never goes out of style”.
Fans mourned her death outside Birkin’s home on Paris’ Left Bank.
“She was a poet, a singer, an artist,” said Marie-Joe Bonnet. “She did her best, which is great.”
Birkin’s early film work included 1966’s ‘Blow-Up’, which was credited with introducing French audiences to her ‘Swinging Sixties’ style and beauty.
Birkin and Gainsbourg met two years later. She remained his muse even after the couple separated in 1980.
She also had a daughter, Kate, with James Bond composer John Barry. Kate Barry died in 2013 at the age of 46. She had a third daughter, singer and model Lou Doillon, in Birkin with French film director Jacques Doillon.
Birkin has been plagued by health problems in recent years that have prevented him from performing and making fewer public appearances.
French broadcaster BFMTV reported that Birkin suffered a minor stroke in 2021 and was forced to cancel that year’s show. She canceled the show again in March due to her broken shoulder blade.
His return to performing was postponed to May, with the singer stating he needed more time and promising fans that he would meet again in the fall.
Despite her decades-long film and music career, Birkin wondered if, to some, her eponymous bag might become her most recognizable legacy. .
This fashion accessory was born out of a chance encounter on a plane to London in the 1980s with Jean-Louis Dumas, then head of Hermès. In a subsequent interview, Birkin said the conversation started when she spilled her belongings on the cabin floor. She asked Dumas why Hermès didn’t make bigger handbags, and on the plane she sketched the kind of bag she wanted.
Later, when I asked Dumas to make a sample and asked if Hermès could commercialize the bag under her name, she happily said yes.
Summarize this content to 100 words
Jane Birkin, the French-born actor and singer who captivated France with her British grace, natural style and social activism, has died at the age of 76.The London-born star and fashion icon was known for her musical and romantic relationship with French singer Serge Gainsbourg. Their songs, in particular, included the hot “Je t’aime moi non plus” (“I Love You, Me Neither”). Her 1969 duet, which intertwined Birkin’s ethereal British accent with her sullen baritone, made her a household name, but was banned in Italy after she was denounced by the Vatican newspapers. rice field. Birkin’s style of the 1960s and early 1970s, long hair with bangs, jeans paired with white tops, knitted mini dresses and basket bags, still epitomizes French chic for many women around the world. doing.
Birkin was also synonymous with her namesake Hermès bags. Created in her honor by her house of fashion in Paris in 1984, her Birkin bag has become one of the world’s most exclusive luxury items and has been priced like a stratosphere for years. A waiting list has been created.and 2018 “CBS Sunday Morning” interview, Birkin joked that this bag might be her most famous.
“When I went to America, I don’t know in which interview they said, ‘You mean a Birkin like a bag?’ . “Oh my God, my obituary is going to say ‘I loved the bag’ or something like that,” Birkin told Anthony Mason, senior cultural and senior national correspondent for CBS News. .”It’s pretty funny that after all this you’re being known for your bags,” Mason said.”Maybe so. Well, it could be worse,” said Mr. Birkin.
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In France, where he was adopted, Birkin was also celebrated for his political activism, Amnesty International, the democracy movement in Myanmar, the fight against AIDS and other causes.
“You can always do something,” Birkin said in 2001, inspiring support for Amnesty International’s campaign against torture. She “can say ‘I’m not OK with that.'” She marched with five monks at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival to demand that Myanmar allow foreign aid workers to enter to help cyclone victims.In 2022, she joined other French film and music stars in cutting off her hair in support of Iranian protesters. Birkin and Gainsbourg’s daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, an actor herself, cut off part of her mother’s hair for her “HairForFreedom” campaign as Iran was embroiled in anti-government protests.French President Emmanuel Macron hailed Birkin as a “perfect artist” and noted that her soft voice went hand in hand with her “fervent” activism.”Jane Birkin was a symbol of France because she was the embodiment of freedom and sang the most beautiful words of our language,” he tweeted.French media reported that Birkin was found dead in his Paris home. The French Ministry of Culture tweeted that Birkin died on Sunday. The magazine hailed her as “her timeless French-speaking icon”. Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak called Birkin “the most French Briton” and “a symbol of an entire era that never goes out of style”.
Fans mourned her death outside Birkin’s home on Paris’ Left Bank.”She was a poet, a singer, an artist,” said Marie-Joe Bonnet. “She did her best, which is great.”Birkin’s early film work included 1966’s ‘Blow-Up’, which was credited with introducing French audiences to her ‘Swinging Sixties’ style and beauty. Birkin and Gainsbourg met two years later. She remained his muse even after the couple separated in 1980. She also had a daughter, Kate, with James Bond composer John Barry. Kate Barry died in 2013 at the age of 46. She had a third daughter, singer and model Lou Doillon, in Birkin with French film director Jacques Doillon.Birkin has been plagued by health problems in recent years that have prevented him from performing and making fewer public appearances.French broadcaster BFMTV reported that Birkin suffered a minor stroke in 2021 and was forced to cancel that year’s show. She canceled the show again in March due to her broken shoulder blade.
His return to performing was postponed to May, with the singer stating he needed more time and promising fans that he would meet again in the fall.Despite her decades-long film and music career, Birkin wondered if, to some, her eponymous bag might become her most recognizable legacy. . This fashion accessory was born out of a chance encounter on a plane to London in the 1980s with Jean-Louis Dumas, then head of Hermès. In a subsequent interview, Birkin said the conversation started when she spilled her belongings on the cabin floor. She asked Dumas why Hermès didn’t make bigger handbags, and on the plane she sketched the kind of bag she wanted. Later, when I asked Dumas to make a sample and asked if Hermès could commercialize the bag under her name, she happily said yes.
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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jane-birkin-dies-76-actor-singer-style-icon-hermes-paris-france/ Actor, singer and fashion icon Jane Birkin dies at 76
