Hermes Birkin bags are coveted the world over, but British singer-songwriter and philanthropist Jane Birkin is less enthusiastic about the handbag that bears her name. While others might describe it as a perfect specimen of style, in a recent interview Birkin herself called it a “rather trivial piece of heavy luggage”!
She might see it as trivial, but Jane Birkin has managed to use the handbag for good. She explained that once she saw the “fortune” Hermes was making from her name, she compelled the label to donate some of it to her philanthropic efforts.
Hermes donates an undisclosed sum each year directly to Jane Birkin’s charity efforts, and that’s a commitment it intends to keep even after her death. This year Birkin used the money to stage a benefit concert in Japan following the country’s devastating earthquake and tsunami, and to help feed underprivileged people in France. She also donated one of her own Birkins to a charity auction, an effort which raised $163, 000 for the Japanese Red Cross.
“So that rather trivial piece of heavy luggage has done a lot of good in the world,” she said. That might be understating the point!
Of course if you really want to do help those in need you’ll donate to charity rather than indulging in a Birkin, but it’s nice to know that the It Bag comes packaged with a bit of good karma.
[Image Source: Nicolas Genin/Wikipedia Commons]
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