You probably don’t recognize her, but I know you want her bag

Who is she?

You probably don’t know, but after reading this, I think you will agree you probably should.  You really, really, should.

Her name is Jane.  

Jane was born in London.  Apart from the obvious (that she is beautiful) she has had success as both an actress (in films like Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile) and as a singer (she won female artist of the year in the Victoires de la Musique which are basically France’s version of the Grammys).

Still don’t recognize her yet?  Don’t worry.  This next bit will probably do the trick.

In 1980 she was on a flight from Paris to London.  You know how it goes, overcrowded flight (even in first class) and while you are stuffing your cheap straw weekend bag into the overhead compartment, one thing leads to another, and the contents come bursting out, all over the lap of the well dressed gentleman in the seat next to yours.

OOPS.

It wasn't even intentional, she swears, but on this particular occasion, perhaps it was meant to be?  Perhaps it was fate?  Ok now I know you’re asking why who was he?  Did they fall in love?  Get married?  Nope.  Better.

After gathering her things and apologizing profusely, as the story goes, Jane spent the duration of the short flight explaining how she wished she could find a better quality leather weekend bag, so that this sort of thing wouldn’t happen.

The stylish stranger, was none other than Jean-Louis Dumas, and he just happened to be the CEO of a little company called HERMES.

That historic flight, was in 1980.  

After listening intently, he returned to his offices, and then designed, and named a bag after her.  Jean-Louis was obviously a man of great talent, because he absolutely got it right.  

The bag he created became an instant classic.  I think you will agree, after that, her weekend bag problems, were over.

 

Here she is today.  Still beautiful.  I wonder how many of her own bags she has?

Her name?  Jane Birkin, of course.  She is living proof that some times the clutsy girls have all the luck.