It Girl - by Marisa Meltzer (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The first comprehensive biography of Jane Birkin--actress, singer, and legendary style icon--and her profound cultural impact, from the "acerbic, culturally astute, and genuine" (The New York Times) author of the instant New York Times bestseller Glossy.

Jane Birkin was synonymous with chic. Her effortless style and artistic legacy have been immortalized through her music and film career. And, of course, she was the inspiration behind one of the world's most coveted bags, the Hermès Birkin. But who was the real woman behind the it girl?

Now, New York Times bestselling author Marisa Meltzer sheds new light on Birkin's enigmatic life and explores her profound influence on generations in a rigorously reported biography unlike any other.

It Girl paints a vivid portrait of Birkin and her profound legacy, from her early years in 1960s London to her rise as a beloved celebrity in France, detailing personal challenges, her relationships with creative powerhouses, and the duality of her public and private selves. Based on interviews and deep archival research, Meltzer reveals the nuances of Birkin's character: her famously tempestuous romantic relationships, life with her three famous daughters, and the creative energy that drove her. It Girl tells the story of her indelible impact on femininity and style, and how what we think of as French girl style grew from her. Far from being just a muse, Birkin is at last given her well-deserved due.

Review Quotes

"A remarkable portrait of an iconic figure." --Booklist

"There was a Birkin before the bag. In this compelling and charming new biography, Meltzer delves into the life of the British-born Birkin--an actress and musician born into English aristocracy who found her true calling among Paris's louche 1970s scene." --Town & Country (Best Books of Fall 2025)

"An affectionate and appealing account of the young Englishwoman who became a French icon." --Kirkus Reviews

"Dazzling... an intimate and humanizing portrait of a woman who was far more than just a muse." --Candace Bushnell, New York Times bestselling author of Sex and the City

"In It Girl, Marisa Meltzer turns her incisive eye to the mystique of Jane Birkin, most remembered today for her namesake Hermes bag, revealing how an insecure British teen transformed into a darling of the French New Wave, and a nuanced portrait of a young mother navigating tumultuous and often imbalanced love affairs and artistic collaborations, and her refusal to let them define her." --Julie Satow, New York Times bestselling author of When Women Ran Fifth Avenue

About the Author

Marisa Meltzer is a journalist based in New York who for over two decades has covered beauty, fashion, wellness, and celebrity for top national publications such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, and Vanity Fair. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller It Girl, Glossy, This Is Big, How Sassy Changed My Life, and Girl Power, and lives in Manhattan.