When Jane Birkin arrived in France at the end of the 1960s, her twiggy, slender and slender physique responded to the codes of Swinging London embodied at the time by the boned model Twiggy. In the land of Molière, the time of fashion is rather and above all Brigitte Bardot. Moreover, when in 1968 Serge Gainsbourg met the young and frail British when he had just experienced a painful break with the sculptural BB, his words to describe her were not the most tender: “What is this English sausage?” had he let go then in the middle of casting for the film Sloganwhere she will eventually be hired. A less romantic first date as Jane Birkin later explained:“The first time I met him, it wasn’t his face, but his way of being, I found him… horrible. He had no courtesy or kindness.”. However, as we know, the future Gainsbarre will succumb to the ingenuous charms of this little English girl with large innocent eyes and a very childish pallor, with a thin body and non-existent chest. An ideal physique to wear, like a Françoise Hardy herself not very fleshy, the mini-dresses of Courrèges or the metallic ones of Paco Rabanne. But also jeans with a super small waist and huge bell bottoms with a navy blue pea coat by Saint Laurent. Without forgetting his eternal wicker tote that the young woman lugs around everywhere… A hipster cool style, nonchalant but very studied mixing a certain androgyneity disturbing minds and inspiring creators. Until a big fashion house dedicates a handbag to her, which has become an “it bag”, which fashionistas love!
An it bag that has become a real financial investment!
Everyone indeed knows the “Kelly”, in homage to Princess Grace Kelly. But the other “it-bag” from the luxury house Hermès is just as popular… finally a name. Because this handbag is not within the reach of all budgets. For the record, it is said that in 1981, Jean-Louis Dumas, big boss of the house, and the singer were traveling on the same plane. Then young mother (of Kate then of Charlotte), Jane Birkin would have complained of not having found the ideal bag to be able to take with her all the essential bazaar to occupy her children. Together, they then began to draw what would become the “Birkin”, one of the most expensive bags in the history of leather goods! In 2015, the singer, committed to ecology and animal respect, had asked that the model be renamed to protest against the mistreatment inflicted on the Texas-bred crocodiles that Hermès used. The house had then reinforced its controls and continued to pay royalties to the artist so that it allows him to use his name, sum that Jane Birkin would have systematically donated to charities. Because in the meantime, the bag has become CULT! Having crossed the ages, it is the symbol of refinement, chic and good taste. We saw it in the series Sex and the Cityof course, but always in the arms of fashionistas on the front line of Fashion Shows, close to the body of people, the ultimate Victoria Beckham version… because the object is rare! It takes, for a single craftsman, between 15 to 16 hours of work, with precious metal finishes, to deliver this much-desired precious bag that remains on the waiting list. And some or some are ready to do anything to get one! The second-hand market is also very flourishing: some pieces even sell for more than in stores! Know that it is a safe financial investment! Still, according to information from the Internet, the price of a Birkin would be on average around 8,000 euros and a price hike is predicted for 2023 long before the unfortunate death of its muse.
VF