When I first discovered Lou Doillon I was in awe with her ability to look so disheveled yet at the same time so put-together. While her mother Jane Birkin and sister Charlotte Gainsbourg keep it simple and stick to the basics, Lou is more like a fashion tornado. Her wild hair, signature hats, and mix of designer and vintage pieces always seem just a little bit off, but in the fashion world where there is a constant search for the next great thing, a little bit off can be right on.

As the daughter of French icon Jane Birkin and film director Jacques Doillon, Lou’s upbringing included both elements of a bourgeois and a hippie lifestyle. As she grew older Lou began rejecting her bourgeois side, pretending to have no money and shopping at thrift stores. By age nine her style included dread locks and Grateful Dead t-shirts and just two years later she had her first tattoo and tongue piercing. According to Lou in a 2001 Interview Magazine article, “When I was about 15 years old, I was living in Paris and I was insane, very wild. I had red hair and piercings all over my body. I was taking drugs and not really caring about anything. My papa thought that putting me in one of his movies might help settle me down, so I did his movie Trop (peu) d’amour and I just loved it. And he was right: it calmed me down. It made me a new person.” Lou continued her career in film and is today considered a European cinema star.

The following year Lou entered the fashion industry as a model. Always the provocateur Lou quickly took the fashion world by storm and just three years later became the face and muse for the Givenchy fashion house. Although Lou had gained the respect of the elite in the fashion industry her wild-child reputation lingered, earning her a spot in the 2007 edition of the infamous Pirelli Calendar and a pictorial in the March 2008 issue of French Playboy.

Lou’s upbringing, career success, and personality on and off the runway garnered her it-girl status, however, she was more interested in furthering her career than idling in her fame. In 2007 she was approached by the iconic denim brand Lee Cooper to design a line that would add a fresh point of view to the 100 year old company. After negotiations Lou earned a three year contract allowing for extensive creative freedom, and the new title of fashion designer. Her first collection featured high-waisted trousers and tiny jackets inspired by the Artful Dodger of Oliver Twist and was a hit in the fashion world. And with only a year of designing behind her Lou Doillon’s presence in the fashion world is just beginning.

Click here to read a Nylon interview with Lou Doillon

by: Tricia Rock

When considering Jane Birkin for a style icon, I cannot ignore the fact that two of her daughters Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon should carry the title as well. All three have that allure of effortless French fashion most women strive for, however, each interpret the look in a slightly different way which highlights their individuality.  Not only will The Rathaus feature Jane Birkin as a style icon, but we will also include , on a later date, follow ups on both Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon to make sure we get the full story of this remarkably stylish family.

Jane Birkin made her debut playing a model in Michelangelo Antonioni’s controversial 1966 film Blowup. Although born and raised in London, Birkin then decided to move Paris to pursue a career in acting, modeling, and singing. She landed the lead female role in Slogan, despite her limited knowledge of the French language, where she met and starred with Serge Gainsbourg. The two soon began a long intimate relationship and recorded one of the first of many musical collaborations “Je t’aime… moi non plus.” The song featured erotic lyrics over the sexualized moans and groans of Birkin, causing quite a stir. Although many deemed the song too sultry for radio play, the scandal increased its popularity to make it a commercial hit throughout Europe.

Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin

Birkin and Gainsbourgs’ daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg was born in 1971. The couple separated in 1980 and in 1982 Birkin had another daughter Lou Doillon with director Jacques Doillon. Throughout the years Jane continued to star in films and work on music, making her a French icon. She was nominated for numerous Cesar Awards for her acting and collaborated with many musicians including Francoise Hardy, Feist, and Franz Ferdinand. However, she may be remembered most for her inspiration of the Hermes Birkin bag, created in 1984. The bag is said to have been designed for Jane after the head of the fashion house saw the muse struggling with several bags while boarding a plane. The bag is now one of the most expensive and sought after accessories in the fashion world, with a waiting list of over two years.

Jane Birkin’s style is the epitome of French fashion. Chic and basic yet with such an ease it looks as though she just strolled out of bed, tousled her hair, and grabbed the few pieces of clothing that were lying around. This relaxed hippie vibe complete with her signature fringe hairstyle inspired women throughout the world to loosen the grips of 1960′s mod fashion for a more natural beauty.

Today Birkin has been concentrating her work more towards humanitarian efforts, however, she will be teaming up with luxury cashmere and wool knitwear line Lutz & Patmos for a Spring 2009 collection.

by: Tricia Rock