Female Fashion Powerhouses

TWO WOMEN WHO CHANGED THE COURSE OF FASHION FOREVER Written by Emily Fleming, PR & Outreach Director Graphic by Kate Madigan, Staff Graphic Artist

Jane Birkin’s name may sound familiar, and it is likely because the infamous Hermes Birkin bag was created and named after her. She became an icon in the fashion world after her fame as an English singer, songwriter and actress skyrocketed in the late 1960s, and her influence has remained steadfast.

Birkin met the Hermes chief executive, Jean-Louis Dumas, by chance on a flight from Paris to London in 1983. Birkin complained to Dumas about her struggle of finding the perfect carryall bag, as opposed to her go-to straw basket, and rumor has it they spent the rest of the flight designing the perfect bag together.1 Three years later, the Hermes Birkin bag was revealed, and soon became one of the most valuable, expensive and highly sought-after handbags of all time.

Decades later, the Hermes Birkin bag still holds the title for most expensive purse ever created—with variations of the classic design ranging up to half a million dollars. While the bag certainly fits the needs of what Birkin initially wanted, its popularity stems from its exclusivity.2 Yet the true intrigue behind the story of the Birkin is not its price tag—it is the way its namesake, Jane, differs from nearly everything the bag stands for. She has only owned five Birkin bags in total, wearing each one until it is unusable, then auctioning off the used bags for charity. As for her yearly payment from Hermes for using her name? Every cent also gets donated to charity.

Brikin was never afraid to make a bold statement, which rang true when she started the trend of “defacing” her own signature bag. She added stamps and stickers to make her bags unique and true to her personality, claiming it to be her own way of making the bag less “snobbish.”3 This fit her signature

¹ “Who is Jane Birkin?” Baghunter, accessed Oct. 2021. ² Jack Houston and Anna Kim, “Why Hermès Birkin bags are so expensive, according to a handbag expert,” Business Insider, June 30, 2021. ³ “10 things you might not know about the Herbohemian style, which was effortlessly cool and subtly sexy. From her love of mini dresses to her trademark fringe bangs, Jane Birkin was—and remains—a fashion icon.4 She showed us the power in being true to yourself and the global impact that one can make being confident in their personal style. In this case, it all started with a clumsy straw basket!

Another English figure who revolutionized the fashion industry during this time goes by the name of Twiggy. Twiggy was known for her slender figure, bold eye makeup and short hair. After growing up in London, she moved to New York in the late ‘60s and immediately became an international success. Given the childhood nickname “Twigs” by her friends due to her thin frame, her hairdresser and soon-to-be manager was the first to officially call her Twiggy.5 People described her look as androgenyous and doll-like, and she was a pivotal figure “in shifting body type trends for women Body types being a trend at all should be ridiculed but for the sake of understanding influence sighting these trends is necessary. In contrast

mès Birkin,” PurseBlog, April 25, 2018. ⁴ Jennifer Algoo and Charlotte Chilton, “Jane Birkin's stylish life in photos,” Harper's BAZAAR, April 28, 2021. ⁵ Jenna Curcio, “Twiggy's secret moments,” CR Fashion Book, March 28, 2019. to the ‘50s, where top models had hourglass figures, Twiggy transformed the fashion world by introducing the waif look.6 She expanded the definition of what it means to be sexy and feminine, creating an opportunity for girls who looked like her to feel confident in their own skin and becoming the first model to be “truly celebrated for an androgenyous appearance.”7

Twiggy made history by bravely entering a judgemental industry at a young age with a look entirely different from what was commonly accepted at the time. She ranged from being the face of Mod Fashion in the ‘60s, which included short skirts, shift dresses and bright color-blocking patterns, to embracing the emblematic ‘70s hippie style, where she was spotted wearing velvet trousers, gogo boots, fringe, crochet, midi-style skirts, bell-bottoms and statement three-piece suits. Continuing to elevate and refine her daring style, she created persistent trends that will long continue to influence future generations.

Today, Birkin celebrates the release of her first original album in over 10 years in her Paris apartment.8 Twiggy continues spilling over 40 episodes of secrets and advice on her podcast, Tea With Twiggy, including her outlook on life as she turns 71, her mark on fashion and her take on the industry’s future.9

The story of Jane Birkin extends far beyond the story of an infamous handbag, and the tale of Twiggy is still being written to this day. Both women became the emblem of a movement—a force in fashion. Yet beyond their wild success, they never lost sight of their personal styles and passions. ■

⁶ Maria Hart, “See how much the “perfect” female body has changed in 100 years,” Greatist, Jan. 15, 2015. ⁷ Mina Dragani, “10 things you didn't know about '60s icon Twiggy,” L'Officiel, Feb. 21, 2021. ⁸ Jeff Weiss, “Jane Birkin is back with a new album, but her presence is everlasting,” The Washington Post, March 19, 2021. ⁹ Emine Saner, “Twiggy: 'I don't think high fashion will ever move completely away from Slimness,’” The Guardian, May 12, 2020. FALL PRINT 2021