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How Jane Birkin Changed ‘French Girl’ Style Forever

The British French actress and singer, who died on Sunday, embodied changing ideas of femininity and influenced fashion far beyond the Hermès bag that famously bears her name.
Jane Birkin
Jane Birkin (Getty Images)

“Serge was a great man. I was just pretty,” Jane Birkin was wont to say. But in the fashion industry, where Birkin’s impact as a style icon is unmistakable, few are likely to agree with that disparaging self-assessment.

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Further Reading

Case Study | Inside Hermès’ Best-in-Class Leather Goods Strategy

How a unique approach to supply chain, design, communications and retail has powered blockbuster demand for iconic bags like the Birkin and Kelly, enabling the French leather goods house to face down rivals and become a global megabrand with a market capitalisation greater than Nike’s.

About the author
Robert Williams
Robert Williams

Robert Williams is Luxury Editor at The Business of Fashion. He is based in Paris and drives BoF’s coverage of the dynamic luxury fashion sector.

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