I never ever thought I’D be the one reporting back with good news and a beautiful story of my own, but I’ve only just returned from victory and have to share while it’s fresh!!
Hold onto your hats … so I’ve been in Paris almost a week and as you might expect it’s been rejection after rejection for the lottery, 3 applications a day!! (with my 2 passports, and my husbands 1 passport). Frustrated and frankly defeated I stopped over to the Sèvres boutique after noticing the line outside wasn’t too long, thinking that maybe I could stir up a miracle (
outfit: plain white tee and tan linen trousers with a pink Evelyne TPM)… after engaging in a bit of small talk and getting to know the lady helping me i started by asking about SLGs and about some porcelain from which I was missing two soup plates (I did go ahead and buy these)… annnd then I politely spilled my guts: I told her it was incredibly disheartening that a true Hermes lover like myself could suffer rejection after rejection at the lottery and very likely leave empty handed this coming weekend, and that I was drowning in my disappointment. She seemed to truly be hearing me out and quietly took me to another lady in the front of the boutique who’s job it was to separate the walk-ins from the appointments at the door.
(
this part is important)
with this *direct referral*, which I understood in my limited French as “this customer has not been able to get a leather appointment for around a week, please see what you can do”: I was asked by the door SA what it was that I wanted, I grew hopeful… after giving her my wish she quite quickly said; there are no cancellations today and that I should come as early as I can tomorrow but not before 11:30…
I felt defeated once again, but I also felt a twinkle of hope in the parting glance the door SA shared with me as I left… now, I’ll say these two things:
ONE, I strongly feel as though there is a lot of subtext to what you are verbally told at Hermes in Paris, for the sake of overhearers, both staff and clients alike…and TWO the power of who is seen for leather rests ENTIRELY in the hands of the lady at the door with the iPad no. One. ELSE. I felt IN MY BONES that this Door SA was telling me to return tomorrow so that she had TIME to work something out, but she couldn’t say it directly as there were staff and clients all around like ears in a wall!
Next day, I wear my best available touch of hermès without trying too hard:
rouge H birkin 35, cape cod double tour Barenia watch and a matching Please Check In scarf around my neck, I show up promptly of course (DH is German ) and immediately the very same door SA recognizes me, looks me up and down, quite plainly sizing me up and asks me to write my name down in her iPad and quickly sends me upstairs to wait…
no less than 20mins later I’m collected *by name* by a charming leather specialist who asks me for my wish (
I knew not to vomit my list right away and stepped the conversation back to introductions and explaining why I was here and naturally led into what my wish was)…and to cut a long story kind of shorter she returned with this: *see attached*
TLDR: the lottery is not the only way, seek to connect with the staff at Hermes and make your case! So often we are told they are unfeeling and impersonal, it couldn’t be further from the truth! Try your hand and have confidence!!! GOOD LUCK XOXOXOXO
specs: Kelly 35 Togo Retourne in Noir PHW
price: €9050View attachment 5433121
