I've been dying to tell this story since I got back, and I finally have time....Bear with me please, this will be looooong. Also, to protect my boutique, the SA and myself, I won't be revealing any real names or locations 
.....but what starts out as a crappy crappy trip, does indeed have a very happy ending!
SO. My trip started in FLA on business, to continue to Europe on a Friday on business. Unfortunately, my flight was cancelled, and although I was re-booked for the following Saturday and through a different airport, THAT flight was delayed 1.5 hours and I missed my connection.
ush:. To get out of the country within the next 3 days (!!!) I had to drive from the south to DC to catch the flight to Europe on Sunday PM (I was supposed to be there on Saturday already!). Did I mention that since my bags were checked in at origin in FLA I was therefore without bags? No clothes, shampoo, nada. I finally arrived in Europe on Monday, sans bags, and had to duck into a dept. store to buy socks, as the only pairs I had with me I had just washed, and it was freezing cold out. 
(I hid between the book isles to put the socks on)....then bought a coat and a pair of shoes, since sneakers weren't going to do for the business meeting.
Anyhow, one of my next stops was at the local Hermes boutique - I had called them and told them that I was going to be coming, but they didn't really have anything I wanted (major) - and I ended up buying a wallet for SO, a Carmen, 2 Dogos (small, medium) to organize my stuff. Then I placed a podium order for an Ebene VL or Togo Birkin 35 with PHW.....
But.....the credit card charge would not go through (fraud alert), so I had to leave everything there and work the next day, and I would stop by again on Wed to straighten up the CC issue and see what their latest delivery would be.
Wed, I come in, and the SA tells me the bag I had just ordered is coincidentally coming in, due to arrive any minute!
The only issue is that it was Clemence, and I was somewhat afraid of the slouchy-ness. So I sipped champagne (perfect technique for softening me up!) and waited, while the "Directeur de Magasin" [Question: Can anyone clue me in as to what that position is? Store director? ] came in and we chatted (and I might add, he was young, cute, and latin!)
. What was I to do but wait and enjoy the bubbly and chat? When the boxes were delivered and unpacked before my very eyes, and the shrink-wrap removed from the Birkin box, I was about to jump out of my skin......and the unveiling....OMG!!! The color!!! I was sold immediately! Also, the grain was not the loose sometimes floppy type but a very small tight grain and while the leather is very soft and the bag does slouch a little I find it to be very appealing. Did I mention the color? Wow...such a gorgeous dark brown - not unlike dark chocolate....and so striking with the PHW. Needless to say I didn't hesitate, and felt that after the hassle I deserved a treat! 
The kicker to the story? When I finally left with my 2 large bags, the "Director" insisted on carrying them to my hotel!
One final note....the small Dogon I purchased is also Ebene, but togo, and you can really see the difference in the two colors.......the togo is a lighter version of the same shade....not nearly as nice in my opinion. Also, having seen some of the VL bags in Ebene, they also don't have the richness of Clemence....so in the end, everything worked out. Even the rest of the trip went without trouble!!!
.....but what starts out as a crappy crappy trip, does indeed have a very happy ending!SO. My trip started in FLA on business, to continue to Europe on a Friday on business. Unfortunately, my flight was cancelled, and although I was re-booked for the following Saturday and through a different airport, THAT flight was delayed 1.5 hours and I missed my connection.
ush:. To get out of the country within the next 3 days (!!!) I had to drive from the south to DC to catch the flight to Europe on Sunday PM (I was supposed to be there on Saturday already!). Did I mention that since my bags were checked in at origin in FLA I was therefore without bags? No clothes, shampoo, nada. I finally arrived in Europe on Monday, sans bags, and had to duck into a dept. store to buy socks, as the only pairs I had with me I had just washed, and it was freezing cold out. (I hid between the book isles to put the socks on)....then bought a coat and a pair of shoes, since sneakers weren't going to do for the business meeting.Anyhow, one of my next stops was at the local Hermes boutique - I had called them and told them that I was going to be coming, but they didn't really have anything I wanted (major) - and I ended up buying a wallet for SO, a Carmen, 2 Dogos (small, medium) to organize my stuff. Then I placed a podium order for an Ebene VL or Togo Birkin 35 with PHW.....
But.....the credit card charge would not go through (fraud alert), so I had to leave everything there and work the next day, and I would stop by again on Wed to straighten up the CC issue and see what their latest delivery would be.
Wed, I come in, and the SA tells me the bag I had just ordered is coincidentally coming in, due to arrive any minute!
The only issue is that it was Clemence, and I was somewhat afraid of the slouchy-ness. So I sipped champagne (perfect technique for softening me up!) and waited, while the "Directeur de Magasin" [Question: Can anyone clue me in as to what that position is? Store director? ] came in and we chatted (and I might add, he was young, cute, and latin!). What was I to do but wait and enjoy the bubbly and chat? When the boxes were delivered and unpacked before my very eyes, and the shrink-wrap removed from the Birkin box, I was about to jump out of my skin......and the unveiling....OMG!!! The color!!! I was sold immediately! Also, the grain was not the loose sometimes floppy type but a very small tight grain and while the leather is very soft and the bag does slouch a little I find it to be very appealing. Did I mention the color? Wow...such a gorgeous dark brown - not unlike dark chocolate....and so striking with the PHW. Needless to say I didn't hesitate, and felt that after the hassle I deserved a treat! The kicker to the story? When I finally left with my 2 large bags, the "Director" insisted on carrying them to my hotel!
One final note....the small Dogon I purchased is also Ebene, but togo, and you can really see the difference in the two colors.......the togo is a lighter version of the same shade....not nearly as nice in my opinion. Also, having seen some of the VL bags in Ebene, they also don't have the richness of Clemence....so in the end, everything worked out. Even the rest of the trip went without trouble!!!
