Oh dear - another daft question!
- Thread starter eliselady
- Start date
not daft at all -- hermes-isms get a little ingrained around here, but their meanings are certainly not self-evident!
a podium order is really just what your store orders to your specs at the semi-annual podiums (podia?) where the managers meet in paris to place orders for their stores. they are presented with a list of what's available and the orders have to be those particular bags, leather and colors. they can place orders for what their clients have requested based on those lists. so if hermes hasn't been able to get a good supply of a certain leather it won't be available for order at that podium.
orders done outside the podium structure are called speical orders, a store can only make a limited number of them, and they take longer to fill.
for example, i want a petrol blei mini kelly, but they are not offering the mini kelly at this podim so i couldn't order it. but if my SA were to offer me a special order i could place that order -- but it will take time until the right leather is available AND there's a craftsman who feels like making a mini kelly with it.
clear as mud?
a podium order is really just what your store orders to your specs at the semi-annual podiums (podia?) where the managers meet in paris to place orders for their stores. they are presented with a list of what's available and the orders have to be those particular bags, leather and colors. they can place orders for what their clients have requested based on those lists. so if hermes hasn't been able to get a good supply of a certain leather it won't be available for order at that podium.
orders done outside the podium structure are called speical orders, a store can only make a limited number of them, and they take longer to fill.
for example, i want a petrol blei mini kelly, but they are not offering the mini kelly at this podim so i couldn't order it. but if my SA were to offer me a special order i could place that order -- but it will take time until the right leather is available AND there's a craftsman who feels like making a mini kelly with it.
clear as mud?
ooh, ooh -- i know this one, too! claude is one of the two craftsmen resident at the hermes madison shop. i believe he's been working at hermes for ages, and he certainly knows his stuff. he's also VERY gallic in all the stereotypical ways, so it's always fun to chat with him and pretend i'm in paris . . . .
Thank you for taking the time to explain! Its totally clear now!
I have to say that first started on my adventure I did assume that you could order a bag in whatever size, colour, leather you wanted and that was part of the joy of them being handmade. Oh so young, so foolish!
So when I got on the list for my bag, that was like placing a podium order. The store knew what they were getting and I was able to order one of those bags because one of them matched what I wanted. If my bag hadnt been on "the list" (said in hushed tones!) It would have been a special order, which I may or may not have been successful with.
My Claude is Celine! What a sweetie and so much knowledge!
I have to say that first started on my adventure I did assume that you could order a bag in whatever size, colour, leather you wanted and that was part of the joy of them being handmade. Oh so young, so foolish!
So when I got on the list for my bag, that was like placing a podium order. The store knew what they were getting and I was able to order one of those bags because one of them matched what I wanted. If my bag hadnt been on "the list" (said in hushed tones!) It would have been a special order, which I may or may not have been successful with.
My Claude is Celine! What a sweetie and so much knowledge!
Thanks Rose. That's interesting. I work with two stores in US, they do call me when they get the bags I want, but they told me that they do not do PO any more.
