Sorry but no picture and I do not know much about toolbox so I don't know the size! It was a nice small cute bag though - it must have been a smaller size for sure because it could be good for dinners also. I hope your store gets them soon!
Hermes Hawaii
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Sorry but no picture and I do not know much about toolbox so I don't know the size! It was a nice small cute bag though - it must have been a smaller size for sure because it could be good for dinners also. I hope your store gets them soon!
I would definitely love to read a longer post, if that's ok with you. Was it on display? or did you have to ask? thanks.
Sorry for the delay on this! I came back from vacation and work has been taking over my life. WARNING: This is a very long post (split into parts due to character limits), in detail for those who requested it. Also, this is from my experience only, and might not reflect what you or others have or will experience.
First of all, I want to thank everyone on these forums for sharing their knowledge and advice
Without you guys, I wouldn't have known the first thing about how to get my HG bag. Now I know it's possible (once I get off ban island, that is! hee hee)My experience at H was similar to other accounts I've read - I suspect there are a few locations in the world that cater to large populations of tourists, and therefore the scrutiny around what you wear, how you act, whether you're a loyal customer, etc. might not be as strict.
PART I:
I visited H in Ala Moana on Sunday, the second day I was in Oahu, with my DH. We had spent the day driving around getting our bearings so I was not well dressed - just wearing a simple, knee length sundress (ironically, in a coral color similar to rose jaipur), black haviana flip flops, gold michael kors watch and my engagement ring/band. I was carrying my beat up Longchamp tote that I usually travel with, and my hair was a mess from being in the convertible all day. My husband was wearing a very worn in tshirt, swim shorts, reaaaaaally worn in baseball cap (his style is definitely on the very casual side) and his rolex (the most basic style) + wedding band. I was carrying a massive Chanel shopping bag from another purchase I had just made (oopsies!) that may have signaled my propensity to spend. All the shops at Ala Moana had the most kind SAs, and I had a better-than-usual experience at all of them (vs. my usual experiences in SF and NYC). I was nervous to go to H, especially after reading everyone's posts, so I saved it till last.
I haven't spent a ton of time in Hs before this so I'm not sure if it's the norm, but this particular location had very minimal display windows (so not very many pieces on display that you could see from the mall, you couldn't see much until you went inside the store itself) and the location itself had a small-ish scarf counter to the left side upon entry, jewelry and small leather goods/ties in the middle, and bags to the right. Center of the store was home goods, and along the sides were belts, some RTW, and other items I can't recall ATM.
I walked in and did a quick walkthrough from the scarves through to the bags (my DH started out with me but wandered off to look at other stuff - he was still in the camp of "why the eff is this stuff so expensive?!" so he went to seek the answer to that). An SA approached me pretty quickly to ask if I needed help; I wasn't sure yet if I would so I let her know I was just browsing. In the bag section, I scanned quickly for any hints of hard to find items, thinking they might be clues into what they might have hiding in the back (subconsciously I think I was looking for signs of Kelly, Birkin, Constance, exotics, clutches). I saw lots of garden parties and other bags that I was not as interested in, but a broad selection of styles and colors. What really caught my eye was an exotic kelly wallet, and then an exotic jige clutch. While I was doing this quick assessment, the SA had followed me and been watching. I stopped at the jige clutch and asked if i could see it. She asked if I'd shopped with H before, if I'd shopped at that location before, and where I was from. As she was putting on the gloves to take it out, she mentioned in passing "we also have this in other colors.." and I jumped at the chance to volunteer my color preferences. I listed neutrals (black, browns) and a small set of pops of color (orange, red). She said she wasn't sure what they had but that she'd take a look.
She then left us for what felt like 15 minutes. The second level of the store appears to be where they hold their inventory; I saw her walking back and forth upstairs and I think she was checking something on a computer up there (hard to tell with the pillars in the way and my less-than-perfect vision!). I did see several larger sized boxes upstairs, so I knew they were probably hiding some good stuff!
She came back down with two medium sized boxes (!!), one still wrapped in plastic, and told me I was very very lucky while she unpackaged the goodies. She showed me a black jige clutch and an orange jige clutch (this was the one still in plastic), both were the smooth leather (I forgot to ask which it was, I'm still familiarizing myself with the catalog). They were beautiful and I spent some time examining them, chatting with her about it, and looking in the mirror with them. During that time, she asked again where we were from, if we were visiting, how often we come to Oahu. I thought it was interesting that she never asked what we did for a living. She wasn't super warm, but she wasn't cold either, just very matter-of-fact.
I decided to pass on the clutches because I was worried the leather wouldn't be durable enough for me, but I had my eye on a few prizes in my head - either a constance, birkin or kelly. Thanks to the research I've done on these forums, I knew that the C was hardest to find, so in my first attempt to acquire a highly coveted H bag I thought I'd try that (I really didn't think I'd be able to get anything so it was a moonshot kind of request in my mind). I felt super awkward about it but let the SA know I was really interested in a C, and in viewing a B/K to understand whether the weight of the bag fit my lifestyle. She basically ignored my request about the B/K (lol!) and was pretty quick to dismiss my request for a C, but got out a pad of paper and asked for my information in case she got one in stock. I also made sure to let her know we'd be there through the rest of the week, which seemed to spark something in her. She also took my color requests. I felt really bad that she went through all that effort to show me the jige clutches but I'm on limited $$ (gross, reality!) so I had to pass. She gave me her card and I asked for her hours. We thanked her and walked out, and I figured that was it, time to check out the other Hs on the island to try my luck.
Fast forward to a few days later (Wed). I received a call while we were on the North Shore but ignored it, thinking it was one of the boat tour companies calling me back with more info. They left a voicemail, and to my surprise, I heard the voice of the H SA letting me know that she had a Constance! I couldn't hear very clearly but it was a rose-something, 24 cm, ghw and she asked that i call her back to let her know if I was interested. I wasn't able to call her until the late afternoon, and I told her that wasn't really the color I was looking for. She suggested I come and take a look anyway because it was so rare to come by a C, so since it was convenient for us to swing by the next day, I told her we could do that.
PART II (sorry, character limits forced me to split this post into two and I wanted to provide as much detail as I could)
Thursday afternoon - we went back to Ala Moana after a catamaran tour and I finished my browsing at the other stores, again keeping H last because I was so nervous that I'd like the bag (it's like when you really want something and you think you can't get it, but then you get it and you're paralyzed with indecision about what to do about it - does anyone else feel that way??). On our way there, I saw an east asian couple (Japanese maybe?) with a baby stroller, toting several big orange hermes bags, and I started to get the sweaty palms, lol! We were better dressed this time - I was wearing an off-the-shoulder ruffled chambray dress, flat sandals, and DH was wearing a polo and khaki shorts.
The SA immediately recognized me and we waited for her to finish helping her current client. I reintroduced myself and reminded her of our interaction regarding the C, even though she already knew, and she told me to wait while she went to get the box. This time, the box came from a register on the side instead of upstairs, so I suspect that was where they put 'on hold' items for clients who planned to come in. BTW, several big boxes in that grouping . The box she came to me with was still in the plastic as well, and she started telling me how lucky I was, that she never sees Cs, and that this color and leather is so beautiful but you really have to see it to understand. Then the big reveal (drumroll please)...rose jaipur 24 cm ghw epsom C! I couldn't believe it - this bag that people say is rarer than a B or a K, on my first try, right in front of me! I turned into a bit of a blubbering idiot - since I didn't expect to be getting it, in my head I was like oh crap what will i do now?! My DH and I chatted with the SA for a while, debating about the merits of the C as an everyday bag for my lifestyle (DH is very practical and trying to keep me in check, as I really need a work bag that I can fit my macbook pro, not a medium sized handbag). SA was really really sweet, let me check it out under different lights, helped me find a better full length mirror when I wasn't happy with the lighting, showed me other options that might fit my lifestyle better, etc. We chatted a bit about SF (where we're from), and how we were really hoping to make visits to Oahu an annual thing. Finally, I asked one more time if she had any Bs or Ks, especially since I really really really wanted to get an understanding of weight and leather types, and she was really upfront with me, letting me know that they are saved for clients who "have purchased before". Instead, she showed me other bags as examples of togo leather, box, etc. I also noticed at this point that there was another slip she had brought over when she brought my slip with the box, that showed another client's name and phone number, so I suspect if I didn't take it there was already another person in line waiting. I was feeling woozy still from the boat ride, so I asked if I could spend an hour thinking about it over dinner (it was 8 pm) and she said of course!
We ran off quickly to find dinner because DH was hangry, and over dinner I went on and on about what to do. Eventually, DH convinced me to get it - he might as well have pushed me out the restaurant as he was worried they'd close soon! I ran back to the H alone while DH finished up dinner, and the SA was finishing up with another client when I arrived. I told her I wanted to take it and she wasted no time plucking the box out of the pile, wrapping it up and completing the transaction (FYI, you can use several cards for payment if necessary...I didn't know that!). As I was signing, the SA let me know that next time I'm in town, I should email or call her (she gave me all her methods of contact) two months in advance and she would do her best to find what I'm looking for. Very interesting.
I was so nervous carrying my giant orange H bag through the mall - luckily I found DH and we hurried to the car and straight home so that we wouldn't risk any harm to the bag.
I'm excited that I've established a relationship with an SA I trust - we're hoping to be able to head back to Oahu soon to pick up some other items, and maybe the birkin of my dreams (fingers crossed!). My advice to folks who want one of the more rare bags is to be kind and considerate! When I first described the buying experiences I'd read about here, my DH and I got the impression that H was creating a sort of "mean girls" club, using the exclusivity as a power-move over its clients. We've since learned that it seems like a mix of elements at play - efficient distribution of limited resources, long-term $ value of the customer, and luck of the draw on inventory availability (sorry, we're both economics/business nerds!). Plus the quality of their workmanship can't be beat, and nowadays that's hard to come by. Again, this is our take on it - I have no idea what the real deal is behind the orange curtain.
Any specific questions, feel free to shoot them my way and I'd be happy to try to answer them! Good luck!!
Thursday afternoon - we went back to Ala Moana after a catamaran tour and I finished my browsing at the other stores, again keeping H last because I was so nervous that I'd like the bag (it's like when you really want something and you think you can't get it, but then you get it and you're paralyzed with indecision about what to do about it - does anyone else feel that way??). On our way there, I saw an east asian couple (Japanese maybe?) with a baby stroller, toting several big orange hermes bags, and I started to get the sweaty palms, lol! We were better dressed this time - I was wearing an off-the-shoulder ruffled chambray dress, flat sandals, and DH was wearing a polo and khaki shorts.
The SA immediately recognized me and we waited for her to finish helping her current client. I reintroduced myself and reminded her of our interaction regarding the C, even though she already knew, and she told me to wait while she went to get the box. This time, the box came from a register on the side instead of upstairs, so I suspect that was where they put 'on hold' items for clients who planned to come in. BTW, several big boxes in that grouping . The box she came to me with was still in the plastic as well, and she started telling me how lucky I was, that she never sees Cs, and that this color and leather is so beautiful but you really have to see it to understand. Then the big reveal (drumroll please)...rose jaipur 24 cm ghw epsom C! I couldn't believe it - this bag that people say is rarer than a B or a K, on my first try, right in front of me! I turned into a bit of a blubbering idiot - since I didn't expect to be getting it, in my head I was like oh crap what will i do now?! My DH and I chatted with the SA for a while, debating about the merits of the C as an everyday bag for my lifestyle (DH is very practical and trying to keep me in check, as I really need a work bag that I can fit my macbook pro, not a medium sized handbag). SA was really really sweet, let me check it out under different lights, helped me find a better full length mirror when I wasn't happy with the lighting, showed me other options that might fit my lifestyle better, etc. We chatted a bit about SF (where we're from), and how we were really hoping to make visits to Oahu an annual thing. Finally, I asked one more time if she had any Bs or Ks, especially since I really really really wanted to get an understanding of weight and leather types, and she was really upfront with me, letting me know that they are saved for clients who "have purchased before". Instead, she showed me other bags as examples of togo leather, box, etc. I also noticed at this point that there was another slip she had brought over when she brought my slip with the box, that showed another client's name and phone number, so I suspect if I didn't take it there was already another person in line waiting. I was feeling woozy still from the boat ride, so I asked if I could spend an hour thinking about it over dinner (it was 8 pm) and she said of course!
We ran off quickly to find dinner because DH was hangry, and over dinner I went on and on about what to do. Eventually, DH convinced me to get it - he might as well have pushed me out the restaurant as he was worried they'd close soon! I ran back to the H alone while DH finished up dinner, and the SA was finishing up with another client when I arrived. I told her I wanted to take it and she wasted no time plucking the box out of the pile, wrapping it up and completing the transaction (FYI, you can use several cards for payment if necessary...I didn't know that!). As I was signing, the SA let me know that next time I'm in town, I should email or call her (she gave me all her methods of contact) two months in advance and she would do her best to find what I'm looking for. Very interesting.
I was so nervous carrying my giant orange H bag through the mall - luckily I found DH and we hurried to the car and straight home so that we wouldn't risk any harm to the bag.
I'm excited that I've established a relationship with an SA I trust - we're hoping to be able to head back to Oahu soon to pick up some other items, and maybe the birkin of my dreams (fingers crossed!). My advice to folks who want one of the more rare bags is to be kind and considerate! When I first described the buying experiences I'd read about here, my DH and I got the impression that H was creating a sort of "mean girls" club, using the exclusivity as a power-move over its clients. We've since learned that it seems like a mix of elements at play - efficient distribution of limited resources, long-term $ value of the customer, and luck of the draw on inventory availability (sorry, we're both economics/business nerds!). Plus the quality of their workmanship can't be beat, and nowadays that's hard to come by. Again, this is our take on it - I have no idea what the real deal is behind the orange curtain.
Any specific questions, feel free to shoot them my way and I'd be happy to try to answer them! Good luck!!
Thank you for taking the time to write up such great review of your experience. I really enjoyed reading it. Congrats on your Constance!
Can anyone recommend great SAs for the Hawaii Hermes stores? Will be heading to Hawaii soon!
Hi friends!
We will be visiting Oahu next month, and of course we'll visit the H boutique(s) while we are there. I'm also interested in getting SA recommendations via PM. DW has a milestone birthday coming up soon, and it'd be great to get her a nice present while we're there on vacation. Thanks in advance!
In case you weren't aware, they aren't moving out of the mall. It's still at the same mall, not too far way from current spot.
Both Hs in Honolulu are great. SAs are friendly and they are always very well stocked. You have to spend some $$ but they always, and I do mean always have the coveted bags. I got a Constance and sis got a Birkin from Waikiki couple weeks ago. Perhaps I was just lucky but they always had Rodeos at either store as well. They offered one again this time but I already got the exact color and size from my local store, so I passed.