Birkin — the singer, actor, and a fashion icon who was the inspiration for the famed Hermès handbag — died on 16 July at age 76. The French Ministry of Culture confirmed the "Je T'Aime... Moi Non Plus" singer's death in a tweet that read, "The most French of Britons is gone. Jane B was mischief, impertinent elegance, the never-outdated emblem of an entire era, a murmuring voice that remains our idol. A woman of heart, committed, whose disappearance leaves us Alone in Babylon."
Born in London in December 1946, Birkin made her home in France after finding success in the 1968 movie "Slogan." It was on the set of the film that she met singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, with whom she had an off-and-on-again relationship. The two went on to collaborate on "Je T'Aime...," one of France's most famous songs.
Birkin is survived by her daughters, actor Charlotte Gainsbourg, whom she shares with Gainsbourg, and Lou Doillon, whose father is French director Jacques Doillon. She was preceded in death by her middle daughter, Kate Barry, who died in 2013.