‘Hell hath no fury like a wealthy person being told no’: can elite shoppers really force Hermès to sell them Birkins?

News Snapshot:

“Hell hath no fury like a wealthy person being told no,” says Alex Pardoe, a Hermès superfan and TikTok creator, recalling the many times he has seen “grown men and women having five-star meltdowns” within the otherwise fragrant environs of the Hermès flagship store in Paris. These tantrums, says Pardoe, are always sparked by the same conflict: a rich person walks in, asks to buy a Hermès Birkin – fashion’s most high-status handbag, which costs $10,000 or more – and is told that none are available. This happens a lot, because Birkins, according to luxury handbag lore, are not mere...