In 1983, when she was at the peak of her popularity, British singer, model and actress Jane Birkin had an encounter with Jean-Louis Dumas, the chief executive of Hermes – in the first-class cabin of a flight from Paris to London.
Birkin was carrying a wicker purse, but its contents, including (or so rumour has it) an Hermes diary, spilt out over the plane floor when she attempted to place it in the overhead locker. As Dumas began to assist her, Birkin complained she was unable to find a suitable leather weekend bag that would hold all the essentials.
And the rest is fashion history. A year later, Hermes released its first Birkin – the ultimate It-bag tailored specifically to the needs of the ultimate It-girl. This first run was made of supple leather, in black.
Jane Birkin, who died on Sunday at the age of 76 in her adopted home of Paris, was known for her classic fashion choices, a wardrobe that was a study in French chic and understated elegance – quite like the handbag she inspired.
However, Birkin was not overtly thrilled with her namesake bag. For one, she realised she was carrying too many things in it, and even once joked: "They're heavy ... I'm going to have an operation for tendonitis in the shoulder."
Then, in 2015, the singer asked Hermes to no longer use her name for its famed bag on the back of an exposé by Peta on the company's treatment of crocodiles and alligators.
Hermes since went on to clarify that the incident identified by the animal welfare group was an "isolated irregularity", and that Birkin was "satisfied" by the measures taken by Hermes.
The leather conundrum aside, and whether or not the boxy, oversized, curiously casual proportions of the Birkin are to your taste, there is no denying that it is the rock star of the handbag world. Its story, price tag, celebrity owners and much-discussed waiting list have ensured that it is entrenched in fashion history.
All of this is underscored by the fact that Hermes is notoriously tight-lipped about it – no one will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
