{"id":36605,"date":"2026-08-10T14:44:44","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T09:44:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=36605"},"modified":"2026-08-10T14:44:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T09:44:44","slug":"to-hermes-or-not-to-hermes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=36605","title":{"rendered":"To Herm\u00e8s Or Not To Herm\u00e8s?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div itemprop=\"articleBody\">\n<section class=\"ione-key-points\">\n<ul>\n<li>Savannah James and April McDaniel\u2019s recent shopping experience adds to a much longer conversation about how Black women are treated in luxury retail. <\/li>\n<li>Consumers are less convinced Herm\u00e8s is a must-have brand, with cheaper alternatives, emerging designers, and fresh products and brands gaining popularity.<\/li>\n<li>With more brands, alternatives and choices available than ever, maybe it\u2019s time to reconsider what \u2014 and who \u2014 gets our luxury dollars.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/hellobeautiful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2026\/08\/17862169153323-e1786217071895.jpg?w=683&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Savannah James' Milan Hermes Shopping Experience Is Yet Another Reason To Rethink Luxury\" class=\"wp-image-4599768\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: TheStewartofNY \/ Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/hellobeautiful.com\/4474437\/grace-wales-bonners-hermes\/\" id=\"4474437\">Herm\u00e8s<\/a><\/strong> has spent decades as one of fashion\u2019s most coveted luxury houses. Its handbags, scarves, clothing and accessories come with hefty price tags, exclusivity and a level of status few brands have been able to match.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But in 2026, it might be time to reconsider whether Herm\u00e8s is still worth our attention \u2014 or our money. A recent mishap with<strong> <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/hellobeautiful.com\/4499195\/savannah-james-style-6\/\" id=\"4499195\">Savannah James<\/a><\/strong> and <strong>April McDaniel<\/strong> brings this topic to the forefront.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The friends recently talked about trying to shop at Herm\u00e8s in Milan while appearing on Danielle Robay\u2019s \u201cQuestion Everything\u201d podcast. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the friends, April had scheduled shopping appointments as they traveled through Europe. But when they arrived at Herm\u00e8s, they say they were turned away despite having an appointment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe had an appointment,\u201d the ultimate WAG <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/friend-of-lebron-james-wife-savannah-says-hermes-fired-saleswoman-who-turned-them-away-shopping-appointment-italy-12037005\">said, recounting <\/a>the experience. \u201cAnd they tried to act like it was\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">April said she immediately pushed back. She also made it clear that Savannah is \u201cvery nice,\u201d while she had no problem taking the situation further. \u201cI said baby you caught the wrong one today,\u201d April recalled.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to April, the saleswoman was eventually fired. The \u201cEverybody\u2019s Crazy\u201d podcast stars eventually returned to the store and everything was different.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe was in the private room with champagne and caviar,\u201d April said. \u201cI said how many bags you got? Ten?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey brought out everything,\u201d Savannah added.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"\/>\n<h3 id=\"h-hermes-black-women-and-the-cost-of-luxury\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Herm\u00e8s, Black Women And The Cost Of Luxury<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are layers to this conversation, though. Because even as we talk about how Black women are treated when we enter luxury spaces, we can\u2019t ignore the economic realities many Black women face outside of them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Black women remain among those hit hardest by unemployment. The economy is not at its best, disproportionately impacting Black families and communities. I mean, the price of eggs and bread alone makes a conversation about \u201cbuying everything in the Herm\u00e8s store\u201d just feel off.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And this is also probably why the legacy luxury industry as a whole has been facing consumer threats with the rise of dupes, other brands and fresh alternatives.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The viral Wirkin is one example. Walmart\u2019s Birkin-inspired bag became its own cultural conversation, with shoppers scrambling to get their hands on the much cheaper alternative. Whether luxury purists liked it or not, the frenzy said a lot. The accessory itself is not as much of a must-have as it once was. And a whole lot of consumers are no longer convinced they need the original to participate in the look.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h-the-truth-of-the-savannah-james-hermes-situation-is-that-retailers-don-t-seem-to-be-changing\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Truth Of The Savannah James\u2019 Herm\u00e8s Situation Is That Retailers Don\u2019t Seem To Be Changing<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, the blatant racism Savannah and April faced here is still startling.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With luxury comes a certain perception, status and income level. And in so many words, this particular perception, status and income level has historically meant \u201cwhite.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether this was what happened in Savannah and April\u2019s case is unknown, but it certainly raises the question. And while their experience eventually turned into the type of \u201cPretty Woman\u201d moment we\u2019ve seen play out on screen, was it all worth it?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because in the end, Herm\u00e8s still got their money. The sales clerk will eventually find another job.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Retailers, meanwhile, don\u2019t seem to be changing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Gallup\u2019s<\/em> <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/news.gallup.com\/poll\/693893\/steady-say-racism-against-black-people-widespread.aspx\">2025 polling<\/a> found that 36% of U.S. adults believed Black people were treated less fairly than white people in downtown stores or shopping malls. Among Black adults themselves, 54% said Black people received less-fair treatment in those spaces. <em>Gallup\u2019s<\/em> decades of polling also show that <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/news.gallup.com\/poll\/352580\/black-americans-reports-mistreatment-steady-higher.aspx\">concerns about racial disparities in shopping have persisted<\/a> since it began asking these questions in the late 1990s.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So this isn\u2019t simply a Savannah and April story. And it certainly isn\u2019t the first time an affluent Black woman has had a troubling run-in while luxury shopping.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h-savannah-james-hermes-story-reminds-us-of-a-painstaking-truth-we-have-been-here-before\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Savannah James\u2019 Herm\u00e8s Story Reminds Us Of A Painstaking Truth:<strong> We Have Been Here Before<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2013, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/codeswitch\/2013\/08\/10\/210574193\/why-didnt-the-store-just-let-oprah-buy-the-38-000-handbag\">Oprah said<\/a> she walked into Trois Pommes, a luxury boutique in Switzerland, and asked to see a $38,000 Tom Ford crocodile bag.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Oprah, the saleswoman wouldn\u2019t show it to her. The employee instead reportedly directed one of the richest and most recognizable women in the world toward less expensive options. The store owner later disputed the characterization of the interaction and called it a misunderstanding.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok\"\/>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eight years earlier, Oprah had another incident \u2014 this time with Herm\u00e8s.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2005, Oprah arrived at the Herm\u00e8s store in Paris and was denied entry. The details of what happened became a matter of <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/id\/wbna8338268\">public debate<\/a>. Oprah\u2019s camp said she arrived shortly after closing, saw people inside and asked to make a quick purchase. Herm\u00e8s said the store was closed and being prepared for a private event.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Herm\u00e8s eventually issued an apology, saying it regretted \u201cnot having been able to accommodate Ms. Winfrey and her team\u201d and apologized \u201cfor any offense taken due to such circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h-is-hermes-still-worth-our-money\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Is Herm\u00e8s Still Worth Our Money?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Several thought pieces followed Oprah\u2019s luxury shopping incidents. People discussed boycotting Herm\u00e8s, the need for more outrage and the fact that racism is racism no matter who you are, how much money you have or your status.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And all of that is true. Painfully true.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because part of what makes these stories sting is the reminder that it seems Black women cannot earn, achieve, dress or spend our way out of racism. But there is another part of this conversation that feels different in 2026.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Legacy brands like Herm\u00e8s don\u2019t carry as much gravitas as they did before.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, its price makes it both expensive and exclusive. And yes, to some it says, \u201cI made it.\u201d But it\u2019s not the final destination or sought-after standard it used to be.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We have more choices. We have Black designers. We have independent designers. We have emerging luxury houses. We have vintage. We have resale. We have brands creating beautiful bags without requiring us to prove that we deserve the privilege of spending our own money.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And, yes, if you love your Birkin, carry your Birkin.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/hellobeautiful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2026\/08\/17862169751343.jpg?w=683&amp;strip=all&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"20th Annual Hammer Museum Gala In The Garden\" class=\"wp-image-4599770\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: Stefanie Keenan \/ Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This isn\u2019t about telling Black women what they can and cannot buy. It is about questioning why any brand gets to hold so much power over what we consider luxury in the first place. Especially when stories about Black women having to prove that they can afford to be in the room keep happening.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Herm\u00e8s bag is a choice. Carrying it is a choice. Buying it is a choice. And continuing to make it the ultimate symbol of luxury is a choice, too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We need to start acting like it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ione-crossposting-source\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<em><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/hellobeautiful.com\/4599766\/savannah-james-hermes\/\">Milan Herm\u00e8s Employee Fired After Turning Away Savannah James, Seemingly Racist Run-In Is Yet Another Reason To Rethink Luxury<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\twas originally published on<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/hellobeautiful.com\">hellobeautiful.com<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/em>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<aside id=\"ione-ve-expanded\" class=\"ione-ve\">\n<\/aside><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Savannah James and April McDaniel\u2019s recent shopping experience adds to a much longer conversation about how Black women are treated in luxury retail. Consumers are less convinced Herm\u00e8s is a must-have brand, with cheaper alternatives, emerging designers, and fresh products and brands gaining popularity. With more brands, alternatives and choices available than ever, maybe it\u2019s&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36606,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/hellobeautiful.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2026\/08\/17862169153323-e1786217071895.jpg?quality=80&strip=all&w=683&crop=0,0,100,384px","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36605","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36605","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36605"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36605\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/36606"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36605"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36605"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36605"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}