Podium Master Thread

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This thread is the Podium Master Thread for you to discuss intel on product offerings at the Podium event.

For reference, here's a brief primer on Podium Order (PO) vs Special Order (SO):

Podium Order

i thought pos aren't really an "order" yet, until it is approved by paris, hence they can only "cancel" it after the order has been placed by the sm (not the client).

According to my sas, whom have explained the whole podium process with me quite clearly. (things can differ a little from country to country, but i think the general picture is the same)

1) regular clients submit/express their "wishlist" to the sms before they go off to paris at each podium. But you don't have to do it in jan/jun, you can tell them i really want x anytime, say in march (just after the feb podium), and the sm will just have to note it down, and then order it at the next podium (july), so the wait to see whether this order has been approved is, of course, a lot longer than say, if you have told the sm in jan. At this point, this is still a "wishlist", not an "order". I know people like to say that "i am going to order this and that", but bare in mind, nothing is an "order" until paris has approved it, before then, it is still your "wishlist".

2)the sms take this wishlist to the podium with them, and see what's availabld to order, then match this with the wishlist and submit their orders for the next season. (feb for aw, july for ss)

3) once these orders have been approved by paris, they will become an "ordered book/list", which are all the items that the store will/should receive for the entire coming season. Hence, everything on this list is "approved", so if your item appears on this list, then it is now an order. So your sm will be able to tell you whether the item you have asked for has been approved or not at this stage.

4)as you can see, this order list is for next season, so there is at least a 6month wait for whatever you've ordered. Some people said they've only waited a month after they have submitted their "order", but to my understanding, it is not the item that the sm has ordered for this client at this particular podium, it is merely an item from the current or past season, which hasn't been spoken for, and has just arrived and happened to match the client's "wishlist", hence, was offered to this client, so she didn't have to wait for the one which the sm has ordered for next season to arrive.

5)sometimes, things that the sms have ordered just never arrive at the store for no reason, some are actively canceled by paris, some are delayed for more than 2 seasons.(aka pending orders from previous seasons) so i guess, you can call all these scenarios as an order being canceled by paris.

6) clients are generally told that pos take 6months ~2 years to arrive, because the order can be delayed for many seasons, but most of the stock should arrive within the next season

7) special order is a totaly different route, and hence whatever i have written does not apply to sos.

8) every country has a different policy for their "waitinglist" or "list" (however you want to call it)

a) some store let a very small amount of client to choose from their ordered stock list for the coming season, (but you can only choose from certain colours/leather/size/hw) so the chance of getting what you have chosen is very high.

B)some stores from time to time ask their clients what they want, and keeps a list of client name with their "wishes", and may use this as their guide at each podium, but you can submit your wishlist in ss11, but sm might not have ordered it till ss12, so you dont' know how long you'll wait for this item. Not everyone can go on this list.

C)some stores (like taiwan) let everyone put their wishlist down, you don't have to be a regular client to submit your wishlist. It is a merely a record of clients who wants b/ks. They don't use it to make orders at the podium, it is not an order list, not a waitinglist, it does not mean you will get this item for sure, it is just a client list, just in case one day a vip turns down a bag that the sm has ordered for her, the sas will then go to this list, and call those who also wanted the same bag.

9) can you change your order once it has been placed at the podium? I am not 100% sure about this, but my guess is no, once it is ordered by the sm and once the sm has left paris, it can't be changed. But if you are lucky, if there's something else that matches your criteria in the same poidum ordered list, and hasn't been spoken for, then the sm might offer that bag to you, or if you are a vip, they will re-order it for you at the next podium.

Ok, keep in mind, this might not apply to all stores and even whatever the sm has ordered, might be altered by paris without prior notice. (ie changing the hw, or the size or the leather etc)

Special Order


I have explianed previously how POs worked; Now I will explain how the current SO works in my country:

SMs are informed the number of b/k they are allocated for next season at each podium. Say a store has 50 b/k, it is up to the SM how many b/k she/he wants to order at the podium. For example 40 was ordered, then the store has 10 quota available for SOs. Which is why SOs are usually ordered after the SMs have returned from Paris. They are also not allowed to order anything "regular" through SOs now, ie if it was available to order at the podium, then such bag should only be ordered at the podium and not hogging up another SO quota. Appeareantly this rule is quite recent.

As we all know, since last year, Hermes introduced this SO online system, which allows SA to submit their applications online and it also tells us what can be ordered. (ie, if it was not an option on that system, then it is not available to order) This system puts a limit on many criterias, so we are not as free as we were in the past to order whatever we want. If you want to order something even more special, then it is customised order, which is so rare that each store only gets 1 quota per season or year (can't remember sorry)

Unlike in the past, you can have many options to play around with the bag in different colours. Now you only have 5 options.

1) single colour in a SO only colour/leather

2)Bi-colour:
a) Exterior in one colour, and lining/piping in another colour (if contrast piping is requested, it has to go with the lining colour. No contrast in piping is accepted)
b) Exterior in one colour, and lining, straps, handles, piping in another colour
c) Exterior in two colours (3 sides/ colour) and lining, straps, handels, piping is the same as the sides.

3)tri-colour:
Exterior in three colours, (2 sides/colour) and lining, straps, handels, piping is the same as the sides.


So, we can no longer get a tri colour in exterior in one colour, straps handles in one and lining in another.

You can still choose the hardwares and the stitching. But again they have a list of available colours for stitching should you want to choose another colour other than the default stitching.

They also removed the option of exotics from SO (as of late 2011). So we will see less and less of tri and bi colours exotics now (I am not sure how these can be ordered now, I didn't ask)

Box was also not on that list (as of late 2011), so box can only be ordered at the podium.

Chevre is only available up to size 30 for Birkin.

The SAs have a list of available colours/leathers, so you can only pick from that list, anything that's not on the list can't be ordered.

You can mix and match any colour as long as they are on the list.

The system will give you an instant approval and also give you a not so accurate ETA date.

However Paris can still cancel it BUT they don't generally do so. So once you are on the sytem, you are quite safe.

What I have just typed doesn't apply to anything that was not ordered through that SO system.

(As of late 2011) The wait is also much much shorter than the past, both of my SOs which were ordered through this sytem, arrived within a year, one of them only took less than 7 months.


Here's an explanation of Podium vs Rack.
 
A bit more intel for FW17
- verso does comes in smaller sizes, b30 and k32 should be in the order
- new ombré matte croc for K32 and b35 in blue indigo and vert Titian, gorgeous
- tiny plume, tiny bolide and tiny plipat in the making
- new mix croc b30 with the flap in lisse croc and body in chèvre comes in black and cuivre
- the print Toile de camp in dechainee noir comes in Constance 24, k28 barenia, and b35 black swift
- expensive verso version for indigo matte croc with Bleu electique lining inside; Lindy 26, toolbox 20, plume 28, halzan and pico 18
- Lots of matte Bleu electrique bags being featured
- the new boxy Cinhetic bag featured in the fashion show is being inspired by perfume carrier, comes in wallet (size of Constance wallet compact) wallet with strap, clutch and the boxy bag with chain
- kelly cheval, the style with colorful patchwork leather as the handle body comes mainly in Togo; there's grizzly versions and grizzly/barenia version; size only 28 or 32. The style is inspired by the horse bridle and the whip handle
- there's a zipper pouch similar to bazar with real 3D whip sewn onto the bag, very special and it's a push order
- BBK 32 black sellier with the silver button shoulder strap will be a push order
- new bag opli 28, 24 and clutch style inspired by le 24 coin bag, nice and neat design
- the Constance lookalike bag named 2002, it's really a substitution for Constance, even the opening is similar, won't be available until 2018

That's all for now, will fill in if there's more interesting info

Thanks for the information! May I please ask for this new combo, - new mix croc b30 with the flap in lisse croc and body in chèvre comes in black and cuivre-, will it just be two types of leather but in same colour (i.e. Black or cuivre) Or will it be black and cuivre in the same bag? Thanks.
 
Thanks for the information! May I please ask for this new combo, - new mix croc b30 with the flap in lisse croc and body in chèvre comes in black and cuivre-, will it just be two types of leather but in same colour (i.e. Black or cuivre) Or will it be black and cuivre in the same bag? Thanks.

They will be in the same color, so it's not some crazy bicolor design
 
Pretty, you always are the source of awesome info (in addition to your amazing reveals). Thanks!

PS--I hope your explanation of the source of inspiration for kelly cheval ends the critics' claims that H is copying Prada and others.

U welcome dear, actually the crafts went into the handles are quite spectacular and the handle itself is mixed with swift sombrero box or barenia leather depends on the color combo, it's a little heaven with all the best leather provide by H
 
A bit more intel for FW17
- verso does comes in smaller sizes, b30 and k32 should be in the order
- new ombré matte croc for K32 and b35 in blue indigo and vert Titian, gorgeous
- tiny plume, tiny bolide and tiny plipat in the making
- new mix croc b30 with the flap in lisse croc and body in chèvre comes in black and cuivre
- the print Toile de camp in dechainee noir comes in Constance 24, k28 barenia, and b35 black swift
- expensive verso version for indigo matte croc with Bleu electique lining inside; Lindy 26, toolbox 20, plume 28, halzan and pico 18
- Lots of matte Bleu electrique bags being featured
- the new boxy Cinhetic bag featured in the fashion show is being inspired by perfume carrier, comes in wallet (size of Constance wallet compact) wallet with strap, clutch and the boxy bag with chain
- kelly cheval, the style with colorful patchwork leather as the handle body comes mainly in Togo; there's grizzly versions and grizzly/barenia version; size only 28 or 32. The style is inspired by the horse bridle and the whip handle
- there's a zipper pouch similar to bazar with real 3D whip sewn onto the bag, very special and it's a push order
- BBK 32 black sellier with the silver button shoulder strap will be a push order
- new bag opli 28, 24 and clutch style inspired by le 24 coin bag, nice and neat design
- the Constance lookalike bag named 2002, it's really a substitution for Constance, even the opening is similar, won't be available until 2018

That's all for now, will fill in if there's more interesting info

Do you know for the verso what are the available color combos? Any pics?
 
A bit more intel for FW17
- verso does comes in smaller sizes, b30 and k32 should be in the order
- new ombré matte croc for K32 and b35 in blue indigo and vert Titian, gorgeous
- tiny plume, tiny bolide and tiny plipat in the making
- new mix croc b30 with the flap in lisse croc and body in chèvre comes in black and cuivre
- the print Toile de camp in dechainee noir comes in Constance 24, k28 barenia, and b35 black swift
- expensive verso version for indigo matte croc with Bleu electique lining inside; Lindy 26, toolbox 20, plume 28, halzan and pico 18
- Lots of matte Bleu electrique bags being featured
- the new boxy Cinhetic bag featured in the fashion show is being inspired by perfume carrier, comes in wallet (size of Constance wallet compact) wallet with strap, clutch and the boxy bag with chain
- kelly cheval, the style with colorful patchwork leather as the handle body comes mainly in Togo; there's grizzly versions and grizzly/barenia version; size only 28 or 32. The style is inspired by the horse bridle and the whip handle
- there's a zipper pouch similar to bazar with real 3D whip sewn onto the bag, very special and it's a push order
- BBK 32 black sellier with the silver button shoulder strap will be a push order
- new bag opli 28, 24 and clutch style inspired by le 24 coin bag, nice and neat design
- the Constance lookalike bag named 2002, it's really a substitution for Constance, even the opening is similar, won't be available until 2018

That's all for now, will fill in if there's more interesting info


THANK YOU lovelies for posting these valuable info!!!
For now I'm not tempted by the new bags or shoes (yet) but that might change whenever I get to see them IRL :) :)
Very curious indeed abt the Asphalt color!
 
saw the photo on their ipad today that it looks slightly warm. A bit pinkish to my eye. Though SA and SM said it's between Gris Mouette and Etain. Not sure why they compared with these 2 but not etoupe.

it's on the earthy warm color tone, not cool like GM at all; and yes a tad lighter than etoupe

Oh gosh. So hard to picture this. I dont think of GM or etain as warm. Is it a pure grey then, no brown undertones like etain? I just bought etain. Hoping I did the right thing. They said at fSH that it is slowly being rested.
 
Oh gosh. So hard to picture this. I dont think of GM or etain as warm. Is it a pure grey then, no brown undertones like etain? I just bought etain. Hoping I did the right thing. They said at fSH that it is slowly being rested.

Don't think they have the physical leather chip to the store yet, I can only see from the booklet. To me Gris T, etoupe, taupe or origan are warm grey with yellow/brown tone; Gris perle, Gris M, etain or ardoise are cool grey with a bit blue tone. Asphalt should be under warm grey family.
 
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