Actress, singer, and fashion icon Jane Birkin has died at age 76 at her home in Paris. Birkin was also known for her activism and for being the inspiration behind the famous Birkin bag, which was created in 1984 by Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas.
Though Birkin was born in London, she moved to France in the 1960s.
"The most French of Britons is gone," wrote Rima Abdul Malak, France's minister of culture, in a tweet. "Jane B was mischief, impertinent elegance, the never-outdated emblem of an entire era, a murmuring voice that remains our idol."
French media reports say that Birkin died at home. Birkin had a mild stroke in 2021 and had recently been having health issues that caused her to cancel concerts, according to The New York Times.
She is known for her explicit hit "Je T'aime… Moi Non Plus," which she sang alongside her former lover, Serge Gainsbourg — as well as for her chic style.
Birkin was also known for activism and, according to NPR, had auctioned off bags to raise money for different causes and arranged for some portion of the sales from Birkin bags to be donated to charity.
Additionally, in 2015, she asked Hermès to remove her name from the crocodile-skin version of the bag due to animal cruelty concerns.
"Having been alerted to the cruel practices reserved for crocodiles during their slaughter to make Hermès handbags carrying my name … I have asked Hermès to debaptise the Birkin Croco until better practices in line with international norms can be put in place," Birkin said at the time.
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Birkin is survived by two daughters, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Lou Doillon. Her other daughter, Kate, died in 2013.
"Because she embodied freedom, because she sang the most beautiful words of our language, Jane Birkin was a French icon," French President Emmanuel Macron wrote. "A complete artist, her voice was as sweet as her engagements were fiery. She bequeaths us tunes and images that will never leave us."
