Which woman inspired the name of Hermès’s Birkin bag?

Jane Birkin inspired the name of Hermès’s Birkin bag.

The bag originated after a 1983 meeting between English actor and singer Jane Birkin and Jean-Louis Dumas, then Hermès’s chief executive. They were seated beside each other on a flight from Paris to London. Birkin reportedly described her difficulty finding a practical leather weekend bag that was both useful and elegant, and Dumas sketched a design based on the conversation.

Hermès subsequently developed the bag as a spacious, structured leather carryall with distinctive handles, a flap, a lock, and a clochette. It was named for Birkin, who became closely associated with the design, although the bag was produced by Hermès rather than designed as a personal fashion line by her.

The Birkin is sometimes mixed up with the Kelly bag. The Kelly was named after Grace Kelly, while the Birkin commemorates Jane Birkin. Both are among Hermès’s most recognizable handbags, but they arose from different stories and have different silhouettes.