Jane Birkin, British-Born French 'It' Girl & Singing Star, Dies at 76

Jane Birkin, the British-born singer and actress who became one of the ultimate "It" girls of the 20th century — and who inspired the status-symbol Birkin bag — was found dead in her Paris home Sunday.

She was 76.

Reuters reports her death, which comes after a 2021 stroke, was confirmed by former Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot, who said, "This departure is so sad. She was a beautiful person."

Birkin had lived in France, where she was particularly embraced, for decades.

Born December 14, 1946, in London, she was mocked at school for her boyish figure, though it would later help propel her to fame in the '60s, when hers became the look of the era.

After a brief marriage to composer John Barry and the birth of their daughter, fashion photographer Kate Barry, Birkin sought modeling and film work.

In 1966, she caused a sensation in Michelangelo Antonioni's "Blow-Up" by appearing nude. She went on to act in "Kaleidoscope" (1966) and "Wonderwall" (1968), meeting longtime partner Serge Gainsbourg, a renowned French pop provocateur, on the set of "Slogan" (1969). They were a celebrated couple for a dozen years and collaborated many times, including the racy song "Je t'aime... moi non plus" (1969) and his 1975 film "Je t'aime moi non plus," which resulted in a Best Actress César nomination.

Birkin gave birth to singer-actress Charlotte Gainsbourg with the French wild child.

Along with modeling, Birkin acted in many films, mostly French, but also made a splash in a pair of Agatha Christie murder mysteries with all-star casts, 1978's "Death on the Nile" and 1982's "Evil Under the Sun," the latter of which among her acting high points.

Other film work included "La fille prodigue" (1981) and "La pirate" (1984) with director Jacques Doillon (with whom she had her daughter Lou Doillon, a singer-actress in her own right); "La Belle Noiseuse" (1991), "Leave All Fair" (1985), "A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries" (1998), and "Elektra" (2006).

In 2021, she appeared in the docu-drama "Jane by Charlotte," her daughter's directorial debut, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

Cultivating a rabid following for her singing, she recorded some 14 studio albums, released six live albums, and — prior to her stroke — frequently gave concerts.

Across seven decades, Birkin was as much a symbol as a working performer. Along with high-profile modeling gigs, she famously inspired the Birkin bag thanks to a chance encounter with an Hermès executive on a flight from Paris to London. Complaining that she couldn't find the perfect leather weekend bag, the company's chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas — a seatmate — went on to create what was christened the Birkin bag. Though Birkin herself only used one of them at a time, declaring them prone to becoming too heavy, the name stuck and the bags have sold for five and six figures.

In 2015, Birkin objected to animal cruelty in the harvesting of skins for the bags, asking Hermès to "debaptize" the luxury item. Instead, the company changed its practices.

Birkin, who was known for her advocacy of women's and LGBTQ rights, is survived by her two daughters — Kate Barry having preceded her in death in 2013 — and her grandkids.