These days Birkin is more likely to be spotted carrying one of the famously capacious Hermes totes designed for and named after her than a bulging hand-out from Happy Shopper.
But the rest of the baggage is unchanged: the word "iconic" still swings along behind her, heavier now as time lends weight to her legend.
"I never quite know what it means," she sighs when I mention the i-word. "For me it's Elizabeth Taylor and one can hardly imagine Elizabeth Taylor shuffling down the street with her old bulldog like I do."
We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.
Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.
