Jane Mallory Birkin

Jane Birkin (1946–2023) was adopted by the French nation as their most cherished English sweetheart. Gaining early notice in Michelangelo Antonioni's swinging-London classic Blowup (1966), she moved to Paris in 1968 where she met French musical iconoclast Serge Gainsbourg on the set of Slogan.

Their 1969 duet \"Je t'aime... moi non plus\" became an international scandal and global smash hit, famously banned by the Vatican and radio stations worldwide for its sensual intimacy. Over their twelve-year romance and lifelong artistic communion, Gainsbourg wrote his finest, most delicate songs for her fragile, breathless voice.

In 1984, an encounter on an airplane with Hermès chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas led to the design of the \"Birkin bag\", which became the world's most coveted luxury accessory. Beyond entertainment, Birkin was a passionate human rights defender for Amnesty International, championing democracy in Myanmar and refugee welfare.