Demand for Hermès Birkins has soared after Jane Birkin’s death: the iconic accessory has surpassed the Kelly in popularity, with wearers honouring the late singer’s carefree style
![](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/768x768/public/d8/images/canvas/2023/07/25/3b2d72f7-e0b9-420d-92bc-2c87e1d05bc8_9400eaa0.jpg?itok=sr0hncOx&v=1690260299)
![People attach flowers to the gate of French late singer Serge Gainsbourg in central Paris on July 20, to pay tribute to his former partner Jane Birkin, British-born singer and actor who died on July 16, in Paris, aged 76. Photo: AFP](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/07/25/c46b058f-fc8d-4515-89fb-50e689bc641c_6a67dfd4.jpg)
If she had seen the wall-to-wall coverage of the last week, she would know that was far from true – but it should come as no surprise that over the last few days the demand for the Hermès Birkin has been more intense than ever.
![British actress and singer Jane Birkin performs on stage at the Festival Antigel in Geneva, Switzerland, in February 2018. Photo: EPA-EFE](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/07/25/88712ea0-1b0b-41d7-927e-360d3e8e2b22_af0edc5d.jpg)
![Jane Birkin was known for not being precious about her handbags, frequently overfilling them as pictured here at the Élysée Palace in Paris, France, in May 2008. Photo: Getty Images](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/07/25/abb9ac64-6783-4ef9-9084-d42034775649_93bdcb42.jpg)
“He said, ‘Well, draw it for me,’ and so I drew it on one of those sick bags – the vomit bags – in the aeroplane,” Birkin said, in the same conversation with CNN. Dumas duly went on to produce such a bag in Birkin’s name, but the singer famously only kept one at a time, preferring to carry the same model day in, day out until it was unusable.
![Actress Jane Birkin holds her Hermès Birkin handbag during the France Film Festival press conference at Roppongi Hills in March 2010, in Tokyo, Japan. Photo: WireImage](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/07/25/7e97724f-8a43-4181-973d-f708f8be9dc8_211708a7.jpg)
Birkin’s famously laissez-faire approach to her bags has now influenced the market. “Even though the Birkin bag is the ultimate luxury handbag, Jane Birkin ushered in the idea about not being super precious about your bags,” says Toni.
“Since she passed away, we’ve seen a demand for the historic, vintage, distressed Birkin and Kelly bag – bags that are worn and appear visibly used, that show a sense of history, time and place. Famously one of Jane Birkin’s bags recently sold at auction for £119,000 [US$150,000]. The bag was very worn and showed a lot of wear and tear, including bite marks from her cat. She was the original influencer and she showed women how to wear luxury bags and not be precious about them.”
![A guest wears a blue shiny leather crocodile print pattern Birkin handbag from Hermès during the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival at Hotel Martinez in May 2022, in Cannes, France. Photo: GC Images](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/07/25/37b5a0f8-fc75-4671-a3be-fcbae8e8cad2_316f7f6d.jpg)
But whether you have a Birkin or another model, be inspired by Jane Birkin herself and fill it to the brim with all the things you love – after all, that’s what the bag was designed for.
![](https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/_next/static/media/wheel-on-gray.af4a55f9.gif)
- Jane Birkin, the woman who inspired Hermès’ now-iconic and highly sought-after Birkin handbag, passed away on July 16 at her home in Paris – leaving behind a legacy beyond the bag
- The French-British singer-actress was known for her laissez-faire style and only ever kept one Birkin at a time, wearing it day in day out in wear-and-tear fashion – and you can too