Jane Birkin: An icon's life in pictures

Actress Jane Birkin poses at the French seaside resort Deauville in 1985 - Copyright Mychele Daniau/AFP

Published on 17/07/2023 - 12:48

Following the Franco-British actress, singer and style icon's death at the age of 76, Euronews Culture takes a look at her fascinating life - in pictures.

Jane Birkin, the style icon who died on Sunday at the age of 76, was frequently hailed as the epitome of French style - but she was actually born in London to British parents.

Born Jane Mallory Birkin on 14 December 1946, Birkin's seven-decade long career began on the London stage, where she acted in plays including Graham Greene’s ‘Carving a Statue’ in 1964, in which she played the part of a deaf mute.

Birkin married composer John Barry in 1965 and had a daughter Kate before their divorce five years later.

During that marriage, Jane transitioned to a career in film, playing alongside David Hemmings in 1966’s Blow Up. She was immediately hailed as a style icon for her low-key fashion choices, wicker baskets and well thought-out silhouettes.

In 1968, she starred in Slogan, where she met her long time partner and collaborator Serge Gainsbourg.

Their most famous collaboration is the 1969 song ‘Je t'aime... moi non plus’, which was banned in several countries for its overtly sexual content.

Birkin gave birth to the couple's daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, now a celebrated actress and singer in her own right, in 1971.

Birkin and Gainsbourg ended their relationship in the early 1980s, but continued to collaborate professionally for years following the split.

In 1982, Birkin gave birth to her third daughter, Lou Doillon, the product of a long relationship with director Jacques Doillon.

She was a prolific actress and singer, appearing in some 65 films and releasing more than 20 albums by the time of her death.

Birkin also used her platform to speak out as an activist and advocate, particularly drawing attention to the rights of women and animals.

In the 1980s, Hermès’ then chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas named a luxury bag after her after meeting Birkin on a plane.

The bag has remained iconic and variations can cost hundreds of thousands. In 2015, though, Birkin requested that her name be removed from the bag due to the fashion house’s use of crocodile skin.

Hermès assured Birkin that they had changed their practices and her name is still synonymous with the tote, marking her out as a conscientious style icon to the end.