Charmed, I’m Sure
In the 1970s, British actress Jane Birkin was rarely spotted without a basket swinging from one arm, her young daughter Charlotte clutched in the other. She was a woman who straddled several worlds, as an actress, a liberated woman of the 70s, and a mother who needed a million different things on hand at a given time.
She was of course the inspiration for Hermes’ now infamous Birkin Bag, conceived when Jean-Louis Dumas, the artistic director and CEO of Hermes, was seated beside Birkin on an airplane. He was moved by her dilemma at finding a bag able to hold everything she needed as a new mother, which led to the creation of the Birkin Bag which would be a roomier version of their previous offerings including the Kelly.
We all know what followed: the Birkin Bag became the ultimate symbol of class and luxury, with a requirement of having shopped at the brand up to a certain dollar amount before being permitted to be on the waitlist (“it’s not a bag, it’s a Birkin!”).
But Birkin discourse has seen a second wind recently after people started circulating images of Jane Birkin in the present day, and the shocking state of her bag. Jane is a lifelong artist and creator, and her bag reflected this chaotic energy with patches, stickers, jewels and ribbons hanging off of its expensive hardware. In one iconic photo, she’s holding it with both hands as books and other items spill from its opening.
Thus began an obsession with “Birkinifiaction.” It started with bags, but has expanded to car steering wheels, phone cases, fridges, water bottles. While I thought the most interesting thing about Jane’s Birkin’s bag was the rejection of the luxury item’s value as a commodity in favor of its utilitarian capabilities, something greater still was revealed: a desire for personalization and customization.
If you don’t believe me, look at what brands are up to: Chanel released a refillable version of its classic Chanel No.5 perfume on a decorated chain, designed to thread onto a purse strap for $195. Coach has created an entire line of bag charms, chains, and patches that can be monogrammed with your initials. Searches for charm necklaces and bracelets are up 75% this year.
Why the interest in having a bunch of unnecessary things hanging off of your bag, getting caught on things and falling off? I believe it speaks to a wider desire to appear unique and original in the eyes of others, perhaps symptomatic of the homogeny that’s created by internet fads and trends. Ironically, the trend of “Birkinifying” your bag is pretty ubiquitous at this point, with lots of people putting their own spin on the display.
I do think there might be a secondary reason though: as Gen Z makes its way into the workforce, a return to girlhood and innocence in the private spaces of our lives seems attractive. This includes adding keychains to our bags like we might have done in middle school, or indulging in “ballet-core”, or eating a simple “girl dinner” because after all we are “just a girl” and can’t be expected to cook for ourselves.
In a way, I think that these trends are rooted in the same generational shift that has brought us the office siren - with our induction into the working world comes the equally necessary space to escape from it.
I’ve Birkinified a bag or two in my time. But eventually, as the last charm tumbled to the sidewalk somewhere, I realized that there is no amount of kitschy bobbles or tie-ons that could tell the world exactly the sort of person I was. In fact, there was no purse accessorization that aligned with me or my taste at all, because in reality, I need my purse to be streamlined and functional. Ironically, Jane’s decorated Birkin, which was like a sort of functional museum or magpie nest full of the treasures of a life well lived, became the blueprint for a trend that many could argue to be frivolous or encumbering. Though a trend surrounding Jane’s once unique approach to customization feels at odds with its original spirit, you could also argue that it indicates a thirst for authenticity and self-expression that I hope will usher in more customization, and honesty in the way we present ourselves to others.
At its best, the trend is reminiscent of placing a dandelion behind your ear as a kid; to adorn is to appreciate beauty and to desire to be close to it at all times. Perhaps it is encumbering at times, but the benefits of keeping close to loveliness abound. And while this particular trend might not be for me, I’m partial to those practitioners who take after Jane Birkin and adorn their bags with found objects, celebrating ordinary beauty.