Before the Birkin Bag, There Was the Birkin Basket

By Julia Robles

Jane Birkin, forever a French fashion icon, managed to make a simple wicker basket synonymous with effortless style. Whether paired with a casual T-shirt and jeans while out on a morning market run or with an expensive evening dress at an exclusive event, Jane could always be seen sporting her signature wicker basket.

The fact that she carried her basket everywhere with her became part of Birkin’s charm and an essential display of her embrace of a bohemian approach to accessorizing. Rather than treating fashion as something untouchable, she viewed it as something to reflect the routine of daily life, intended to be personalized and worn down from use. 

Many are familiar with the origin story behind the creation of the Hermès Birkin bag. The iconic handbag was born from a chance encounter between Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas and Jane Birkin on an Air France flight in the early 1980s. During this flight, he witnessed her struggle after the contents of her basket came spilling out onto the cabin floor while attempting to place her basket in the overhead compartment. Though an inconsequential moment at first glance, this small inconvenience led to them spending the entire flight designing a solution, which ended up becoming one of the most iconic handbags in all of high fashion.

Despite having a bag designed specifically with her in mind, Jane never abandoned her basket. As the Birkin bag rose in popularity to its current status as a symbol of wealth and exclusivity, she still favored the simplicity and durability of the basket. Both her lifestyle and fashion style seemed more aligned with her original accessory. Especially as a mother, she understood the importance of function over perfection and preferred to have something she could carry without concern. 

When she was seen wearing her Birkin bag, it was always altered, overflowing, and distressed to reflect her carefree nature, contrasting the target audience for the bag, who typically try to preserve its pristine condition. Rather than treating it as a fragile status symbol, she gave it the same treatment as her beloved basket, prioritizing its function and personal expression over its preservation. 

More recently, Jane’s unconventional use of the bag inspired widespread imitation. Many have begun to adorn their own purses and bags with charms, scarves, and other accessories, adding their own unique touch. Jane Birkin’s playful and personalized approach to fashion has encouraged people to find new ways of expressing their creativity and individuality. What began as a reflection of her free-spirited and lived-in style evolved into a trend revolving around reinventing and reimagining longstanding luxury items.