Hello,
I wanted to share my story since I've learned so much from this forum. I apologize in advance if this turns out a bit long, but I finally obtained my dream Paris souvenir from Hermès Sèvres on Friday!
Here's a quick backstory:
I visit Paris 1-2 times a year and have always tried to secure an appointment at Hermès with a group of fellow enthusiasts, but we've never been successful. Two years ago, I did manage to get an appointment at FSH, but it wasn't a pleasant experience. I was promptly denied with the classic "no bags in stock, madame" once I arrived.
Despite these challenges, I've saved all my Hermès shopping for Paris, as I don't have a local boutique. I've also attempted to build a relationship with the Hermès store in Vegas, but I never received an offer.
For this particular trip, both my fiancé and I applied for appointments. However, he never received an email confirmation, which made me doubt our chances with just my application.
On Day 1 of our trip, I found myself at the new Goyard store across from the George V Hermès boutique. It was around 11 AM, and I saw that Hermès wasn't crowded. I decided to wander in and I politely approached the appointments desk and inquired about troubleshooting. I showed the screenshots on my fiancé's phone. The staff suggested that his email might have been blocked due to multiple submission attempts, took his email down and advised trying again after two hours. They even mentioned the possibility of checking back another day for any potential openings, although that day was fully booked, which surprised me, as I hadn't even inquired about cancellations.
Before leaving, I purchased a few pairs of Oran sandals for my niece.
We waited for the two hours and successfully applied for the appointment, with the confirmation finally working for my fiancé. At 8:17 PM, I checked my email and was pleasantly surprised to find that my appointment was confirmed for Sèvres at 5 PM. I was initially shocked, but then a sense of worry crept in – Friday at 5 PM might mean limited stock by the end of the day. Nevertheless, I decided to stay relaxed and trust that what was meant for me would come my way.
My fiancé and I arrived at 4:45 PM, checked in, but didn't meet with a Sales Associate until an hour later. During that time, I felt a mix of anxiety and nervousness, recalling my past experience at FSH. However, I did my best to stay calm.
When I finally met with the SA, he was incredibly friendly and immediately put me at ease. He inquired about my preferences and paid close attention to my color choices, repeating them to ensure he understood my preferences.
I politely requested a Birkin 25 in a light neutral beige or gray tone with gold hardware. Alternatively, I considered a larger Birkin but in a darker color for work and travel. He asked if I was in Paris for a holiday, to which I replied "yes, sort of," explaining that we had come to Paris to pick up my fiancé's suit for our upcoming wedding and do some shopping. We engaged in some small talk, and he said he would be back.
About 15-20 minutes later, he returned and asked us to follow him. As we walked to the back room, he mentioned that he hadn't found exactly what I wanted but something similar. When he opened the door, I saw a large orange box, and although I knew it wouldn't be a B25, I was grateful just to have an option presented to me.
He unveiled the bag, a Birkin 30 in Gris Neve with Palladium hardware. I immediately expressed my interest but then calmed down and said, "I love the color and this opportunity, but my heart is truly set on gold hardware." It was surprising to hear myself say this, but I also didn't want to take away the opportunity from someone else who might love Palladium hardware. The SA acknowledged my preference and said he would be back, carefully packing away the beautiful B30.
Upon his return, he had another box, and when he slowly unveiled the bag, it was the exact same color but with gold hardware. I'm fairly certain I screamed and was squeezing my fiancé's hand tightly.
I enthusiastically accepted the bag and then asked if he could assist with other departments. I felt a bit rushed as I knew they were about to close, but he happily agreed and helped us find matching twilly scarves, a belt, and shoes for my fiancé. He also took the time to explain the craftsmanship of the Hermès bag, how to care for it, and discussed various leather options for my future handbag choices. He even offered to assist me on my next visit to Paris.
I want to express my gratitude to everyone for sharing their experiences and tips.
Four years of playing the "Hermès Paris" game were truly worth it. I'm still in shock!
