British actress and singer Jane Birkin gained permanent iconic status in 60s and 70s culture thanks to her role in the cult film Blow Up, and her much publicised marriage to French songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. In this summer’s film adaption of
British actress and singer Jane Birkin gained permanent iconic status in 60s and 70s culture thanks to her role in the cult film Blow Up, and her much publicised marriage to French songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. In this summer’s film adaption of Gainsbourg’s life, in a scene where the two meet, Birkin’s character complains that Gainsborg described her as having the legs of a child and a baby’s dress. With a Lolita-like ambiguity, her fragility, and Bambi-ish limbs afforded Birkin a licence to carry-off sheer dresses cut at crotch length whilst maintaining an almost child-like innocence.
Pairing British eccentricity with understated French chic, it wasn't her clothes which came to define her look, it was more of an attitude towards dressing, carefree and fun, the very embodiment of the French bohème. According to fashion folklore Hermès named their most famous bag after Birkin, one of the head designers having apparently seen her struggling with bags at an airport, decades before Marc Jacob’s “Stam” and Mulberry’s “Alexa” paid homage to their it-girl inspirations. However, despite sharing a name with one of the world's most expensive bags, Birkin was most frequently photographed carrying a simple wicker basket in the place of a handbag, at the height of her celebrity.
Today, Birkin remains the subject of style fascination. She can be found at some of the most prestigious catwalk front rows such as Dries Van Noten and of course Hermès, and her sideways take on fashion remains subtly quirky and effortlessly refined. When in concert, she often wears men’s tailoring, John Vavatos being one of her favourites. Currently in cinemas, Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque), showcases historically accurate and visually dazzling costumes by Pascaline Chavanne who recreated outfits Birkin was photographed in during the 70s which, for many, are the timeless embodiment of Birkin’s style.
Text by Laura Havlin
