Who are Hermès muse Jane Birkin’s talented daughters, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Lou Doillon and Kate Barry? The stylish sisters are established in film, music and fashion, but have also suffered tragedy

On July 16, the world lost an icon of 60s cool. Jane Birkin, the British and French actress, singer and fashion icon, who famously inspired Jean-Louis Dumas, the then-president of luxury brand Hermès to make the iconic Birkin bag, lost her battle with cancer. Equally as famous as her talents was her relationship with Serge Gainsbourg – one of the most influential figures in French pop who was infamous for his provocative lyrics and drunken public outbursts. Birkin had three daughters with different fathers: Kate Barry from British composer John Barry, Charlotte Gainsbourg from Serge Gainsbourg, and Lou Doillon from French indie film director Jacques Doillon. (Kate tragically passed away in 2013.) Read on to get to know Birkin’s artistic daughters, Charlotte, Lou and Kate. Is Kobe Bryant’s daughter Natalia Beyoncé’s most stylish intern? 1. Kate Barry, died at 46 in 2013 Born in London in 1967, Kate Barry was the eldest daughter of Birkin, with British composer John Barry. In 2013, when she was 46, it was widely reported that she died by suicide. According to The Guardian, she fell from the window of her fourth-floor Paris flat. Birkin and John split just after her birth, so she was raised by her mum and Serge. She was a well-known photographer, but spoke to multiple media outlets about preferring a life away from the spotlight. She battled drug and alcohol addiction, also per The Guardian. 2. Charlotte Gainsbourg, 52 Charlotte Gainsbourg, 52, is a musician, actress and model. Although her parents split in 1980, they remained famously close. Her father, Serge Gainsbourg, made headlines in 1984 when he performed a duet with Charlotte, who was 12 at the time. The song, which marked Charlotte’s musical debut, is called “Lemon Incest” and the music video shows Serge lying in bed topless with his daughter. Although the title is supposedly a play on “lemon zest”, it understandably sparked controversy for its suggestive, arguably inappropriate themes. Peek inside Victoria’s Secret’s first Chinese collaboration, with Rui Zhou Charlotte has since defended the song, however. Speaking about the incident in 2019, she said per The Guardian, “When you listen to the lyrics, he’s just talking about the infinite love of a father for his daughter and of a daughter for her father – and you can’t condemn that.” When she was 15, she released her first album Charlotte For Ever and then took a hiatus from music. Her next album 5:55 was released in 2006. Although she insisted to The Guardian that she had a “normal and very simple” childhood, she also recalled that there was a plot to kidnap her when she was 16, which resulted in her having a bodyguard. Charlotte has appeared in more than 40 films and is often called the muse of Danish director Lars von Trier. She has starred in his well-known titles Nymphomaniac, Antichrist and Melancholia, which are known for their graphic and often violent scenes. She has been with her partner Yvan Attal for three decades and they share three children together: Ben, Alice and Joe. Gainsbourg has spent much of her adult life living in New York, a place she says has provided her with anonymity. She said she moved to NYC after her sister’s death, telling The Guardian that the incident made living in Paris “unbearable.” What these celebrity couples would look like if they never split 3. Lou Doillon, 40 Like her half-sister Charlotte, Lou Doillon, 40, is also an actress, model and musician. France24 describes her as a “true chameleon” excelling at whatever she does. When she was 15, Lou quit school and landed a role in her father Jacques Doillon’s film Trop (Peu) d’Amour. She instantly became a French “It” girl, with the role catapulting her into modelling campaigns and acting jobs. Then her world came crashing down when she was 18. In an interview with The Telegraph, she recalled how her cousin Anno Birkin died in a car crash together with his entire band. She was also pregnant with her son Marlowe at the time and, for the next 10 years, she lived as a recluse. She said she felt like the world had “dropped” her. Why the iconic Hermés Birkin was first designed on a sick bag It was during that time that she started songwriting, telling French publication Purple that she spent years playing music at home with her friends. It was French singer and composer Étienne Daho who convinced her to record an album, establishing her career as a musician. In 2012, she released her debut album Places and has gone on to become a bestselling artist. The positive reception gave her what she needed to re-enter the public realm, with multiple appearances in films. She has also firmly established herself in the modelling world, working with luxury brands like Givenchy and Gucci. Want more stories like this? Follow Style on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. If you are having suicidal thoughts, or you know someone who is, help is available. For Hong Kong, dial +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on +1 988. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page.