Paris recommendations

[*NYC Princess*]

I'm traveling to Paris for vacation in mid May and want to get a Pochette Metis in either Blue Marine or the Rose Poudre. Do you think I can reserve them in advance with an SA if I tell him/her what day I will be there? Not sure how it works or if they will just call me when it comes in and I probably won't be there yet.

Any SA recommendations in Paris that you think can help me?

Thanks in advance!

 

[einertia]

I'm traveling to Paris for vacation in mid May and want to get a Pochette Metis in either Blue Marine or the Rose Poudre. Do you think I can reserve them in advance with an SA if I tell him/her what day I will be there? Not sure how it works or if they will just call me when it comes in and I probably won't be there yet.

Any SA recommendations in Paris that you think can help me?

Thanks in advance!

Hi,

I highly my SA at the store on avenue Montaigne: his name is Erhan Erdem. I can give you his work phone details if you wish, he uses WhatsApp and responds quite quickly.
I was told this morning that they don't have any pochette métis empreinte just yet as they're slowly delivering them to their shops. But they already have them in Nice and Saint Tropez, so they should definitely have them by mid may (as well as the félicité empreinte, I am told).

I think she should start contacting them, to explain what you want and when you'll be there and they should be able to help you.

You may also try the main store on the Champs Elysées, they have nearly every item in the catalogue but the store is one big mess.

 

[PrincessBala]

I am going in April. I agree Champs Elysées is a mess. I have been tracking the PM as well. It just made the website. So hopefully when I get there in a couple of weeks it will be available. I agree that the Champs Elysées store has everything and so I was thinking I should visit that one again as they would b more likely to have it but the on the other hand the amount of foot traffic there may make availability a challenge. Might do both. I was going to try to reach out to the SA I dealt with on my last trip as well.

 

[einertia]

I am going in April. I agree Champs Elysées is a mess. I have been tracking the PM as well. It just made the website. So hopefully when I get there in a couple of weeks it will be available. I agree that the Champs Elysées store has everything and so I was thinking I should visit that one again as they would b more likely to have it but the on the other hand the amount of foot traffic there may make availability a challenge. Might do both. I was going to try to reach out to the SA I dealt with on my last trip as well.

The thing is, I was told once last summer that whenever they do get a pochette they don't take it out for the tourists. They prefer keeping them for the French customers. I have absolutely no idea if this is entirely true (I know for a fact that no Chinese tourist is walking out with one, just like Hermes in Paris will never sell a Chinese tourist a Kelly or a birkin) or how easily you can negotiate out of such a harsh rule... remember they don't put their pochette metis on display. Again, I would call and email way ahead of time.

Depending on your trip, another good idea would be to check with the Louis Vuitton stores in Cannes/saint Tropez/Nice or even Monaco. Or once in Paris, you may try Printemps and Galeries Lafayette (department stores like Saks) if you've gone out of options.

I hope this helps.

 

[einertia]

The thing is, I was told once last summer that whenever they do get a pochette they don't take it out for the tourists. They prefer keeping them for the French customers. I have absolutely no idea if this is entirely true (I know for a fact that no Chinese tourist is walking out with one, just like Hermes in Paris will never sell a Chinese tourist a Kelly or a birkin) or how easily you can negotiate out of such a harsh rule... remember they don't put their pochette metis on display. Again, I would call and email way ahead of time.

Depending on your trip, another good idea would be to check with the Louis Vuitton stores in Cannes/saint Tropez/Nice or even Monaco. Or once in Paris, you may try Printemps and Galeries Lafayette (department stores like Saks) if you've gone out of options.

I hope this helps.

My comment regarding the pochette metis not being shown is only for the pm mono canvas, sorry. I don't know what the policy will be for the empreinte.

 

[*NYC Princess*]

I am going in April. I agree Champs Elysées is a mess. I have been tracking the PM as well. It just made the website. So hopefully when I get there in a couple of weeks it will be available. I agree that the Champs Elysées store has everything and so I was thinking I should visit that one again as they would b more likely to have it but the on the other hand the amount of foot traffic there may make availability a challenge. Might do both. I was going to try to reach out to the SA I dealt with on my last trip as well.

The thing is, I was told once last summer that whenever they do get a pochette they don't take it out for the tourists. They prefer keeping them for the French customers. I have absolutely no idea if this is entirely true (I know for a fact that no Chinese tourist is walking out with one, just like Hermes in Paris will never sell a Chinese tourist a Kelly or a birkin) or how easily you can negotiate out of such a harsh rule... remember they don't put their pochette metis on display. Again, I would call and email way ahead of time.

Depending on your trip, another good idea would be to check with the Louis Vuitton stores in Cannes/saint Tropez/Nice or even Monaco. Or once in Paris, you may try Printemps and Galeries Lafayette (department stores like Saks) if you've gone out of options.

I hope this helps.

Thank you both!! Do you think it will be readily available if I go to Champs that I don't need to reserve in advance? Or reserve with an SA at Champs? I'm also not sure how reserving this far in advance will work since I can't just readily go pick it up when it comes in.

I will be going to Paris and later Prague with hubby, two year old, parents, and brother so can't be going from store to store looking for the exact color either unfortunately.

What are your guys' thoughts?

 

[*NYC Princess*]

I am going in April. I agree Champs Elysées is a mess. I have been tracking the PM as well. It just made the website. So hopefully when I get there in a couple of weeks it will be available. I agree that the Champs Elysées store has everything and so I was thinking I should visit that one again as they would b more likely to have it but the on the other hand the amount of foot traffic there may make availability a challenge. Might do both. I was going to try to reach out to the SA I dealt with on my last trip as well.

Where was the SA you dealt with last time?

 

[*NYC Princess*]

The thing is, I was told once last summer that whenever they do get a pochette they don't take it out for the tourists. They prefer keeping them for the French customers. I have absolutely no idea if this is entirely true (I know for a fact that no Chinese tourist is walking out with one, just like Hermes in Paris will never sell a Chinese tourist a Kelly or a birkin) or how easily you can negotiate out of such a harsh rule... remember they don't put their pochette metis on display. Again, I would call and email way ahead of time.

Depending on your trip, another good idea would be to check with the Louis Vuitton stores in Cannes/saint Tropez/Nice or even Monaco. Or once in Paris, you may try Printemps and Galeries Lafayette (department stores like Saks) if you've gone out of options.

I hope this helps.

Do you think this discrimination is for all tourists or specifically Chinese ones?Why this discrimination against Chinese tourists? There are a lot of very wealthy and refined mannered ones, as I do agree that fast money ones sometimes lack class and manners. Pochette metis bags aren't one of their more expensive bags although I guess it is one of their more sought after styles right now. I'm American but also Asian so I wonder if they will lump me with their discriminatory category.

 

[*NYC Princess*]

Hi,

I highly my SA at the store on avenue Montaigne: his name is Erhan Erdem. I can give you his work phone details if you wish, he uses WhatsApp and responds quite quickly.
I was told this morning that they don't have any pochette métis empreinte just yet as they're slowly delivering them to their shops. But they already have them in Nice and Saint Tropez, so they should definitely have them by mid may (as well as the félicité empreinte, I am told).

I think she should start contacting them, to explain what you want and when you'll be there and they should be able to help you.

You may also try the main store on the Champs Elysées, they have nearly every item in the catalogue but the store is one big mess.

I would appreciate his contact and WhatsApp, thank you

 

[einertia]

Thank you both!! Do you think it will be readily available if I go to Champs that I don't need to reserve in advance? Or reserve with an SA at Champs? I'm also not sure how reserving this far in advance will work since I can't just readily go pick it up when it comes in.

I will be going to Paris and later Prague with hubby, two year old, parents, and brother so can't be going from store to store looking for the exact color either unfortunately.

What are your guys' thoughts?

I think it is a bit too soon right now - if I were you, I would start calling two weeks prior. But then you can either call customer service or contact an SA (which is what I prefer). A lot of times customer service will say "we don't know exactly when this product will be readily available in such and such a store blahblahblah". This is what they told me yesterday re. Felicie empreinte (April for sure but please call again next week blahblahblah).
So, i think you should start contacting both customer service and SA two weeks before you go. Explain to them how badly you want the bag etc. Champs ,Élysées have good stock even though the store is a nightmare in my opinion. My SA is in the shop on Avenue Montaigne. Please let me know if you're still interested and I will DM you his info.

You being Asian will not be a problem I think.
Their issue with Chinese tourists is not whether people have manners or not. It is because LV are absolutely paranoid about Chinese tourists bringing back bags to copy them. The metis was their most copied bag for a good three years, then came the Palm Springs... there is absolutely no way someone could purchase two pochettes metis at once for instance (Chinese or not), they think it is too fishy.

On the other hand you will probably see Asian private buyers sitting in the store, glued to their phones with 4 or 5 bags around them, that they will likely buy and resell to rich customers with a commission. That is tolerated (you would see that in many luxury stores in Paris, not just LV).

 

[inard1]

Do you think this discrimination is for all tourists or specifically Chinese ones?Why this discrimination against Chinese tourists? There are a lot of very wealthy and refined mannered ones, as I do agree that fast money ones sometimes lack class and manners. Pochette metis bags aren't one of their more expensive bags although I guess it is one of their more sought after styles right now. I'm American but also Asian so I wonder if they will lump me with their discriminatory category.

I don't think this discrimination is necessarily related to Chinese people. I think that, as a general rule, they tend not to sell rare items to tourists. I'm from Italy, and I remember that years ago, when the empreinte Artsy was issued, I was in London and they refused to sell me one, stating that they had a limited stock and it was intended for British citizens only.

I was recently discussing about this with my SA and she confirmed the same thing: they are allowed to sell a limited number of rare or high end items (such as Capucines) to foreign people.

 

[PrincessBala]

The thing is, I was told once last summer that whenever they do get a pochette they don't take it out for the tourists. They prefer keeping them for the French customers. I have absolutely no idea if this is entirely true (I know for a fact that no Chinese tourist is walking out with one, just like Hermes in Paris will never sell a Chinese tourist a Kelly or a birkin) or how easily you can negotiate out of such a harsh rule... remember they don't put their pochette metis on display. Again, I would call and email way ahead of time.

Depending on your trip, another good idea would be to check with the Louis Vuitton stores in Cannes/saint Tropez/Nice or even Monaco. Or once in Paris, you may try Printemps and Galeries Lafayette (department stores like Saks) if you've gone out of options.

I hope this helps.

Thank you it does.I didn't realize but now that you mention it, doing a mental scan I don't remember seeing the PM on display. I will be stopping through Barcelona as well. So I will try to get this from whatever store has it somewhere between Spain and France . haha I will reach out next week to my SA. Thanks in advance for your advice. The last time I went to the Champs Elysee store because I was at the end of my trip and I was able to use my British Pounds as well as my euros. I may have several more occasions to travel this year so I hope to acquire this bag.

 

[highrider9o9]

Do you think this discrimination is for all tourists or specifically Chinese ones?Why this discrimination against Chinese tourists? There are a lot of very wealthy and refined mannered ones, as I do agree that fast money ones sometimes lack class and manners. Pochette metis bags aren't one of their more expensive bags although I guess it is one of their more sought after styles right now. I'm American but also Asian so I wonder if they will lump me with their discriminatory category.

Not to stereotype, but a lot of luxury brands have problems with asian resellers as well, and probably profile out of habit/caution.

 

[p3b]

Which store in Paris is best to visit in general? I am not going until end of June, but interested. I was going to visit the one on Champs Elysses, but now that you are saying it is a mess I am rethinking.

 

[einertia]

Which store in Paris is best to visit in general? I am not going until end of June, but interested. I was going to visit the one on Champs Elysses, but now that you are saying it is a mess I am rethinking.

I would say the shop on avenue Montaigne is the best. It is quite big and yet the atmosphere is very nice and QUIET. Completely different from the Champs Elysées where crowds get in just to have a look at people buy expensive things.
Every time I go, I have the entire shop virtually to myself. It is a little more busy on Saturday afternoon, but nothing crazy.

Walking through the avenue Montaigne in itself is a treat, take my word for it. It is a very chic and quiet street, even on a Saturday afternoon. Whereas the Champs Elysées are always extremely busy, not to mention that there is often a line outside for the tourists. But that's just my personal preference, a lot of people like the Champs Elysées shop, which I can understand.
The only thing is, the Champs Elysées shop usually have more references, but I was there two weeks ago and Champs Elysées had no pochette metis. The shop on avenue Montaigne had one