5Jane Birkin
Jane Birkin is still the inspiration of many great stylists of the moment and a famous fashion icon.
Hermes’ renowned Birkin bag is named after the British actress, who captured a free-spirited, bohemian-inspired style in the ‘60s–think: slightly sheer blouses, micro shorts, and flared jeans–that felt decidedly French.
What’s the story of the bag we all love? In 1981, Hermès chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas was seated next to Birkin on a flight from Paris to London. Birkin had just placed her straw bag in the overhead compartment of her seat, but the contents fell to the floor, leaving her to scramble to replace the contents.
Birkin explained to Dumas that it had been difficult to find a leather weekend bag she liked. In 1984, he created a black supple leather bag for her: the Birkin bag, based on an 1892 design.
