Hermès October 2026 Brief: Paris Appointment Lottery, Holiday Stock and the Birkin Sellier

Public reports and a personal perspective from the MyQuotaBag founder. Published September 19, 2026. Sources checked through the same date.

I went to Paris in September hoping for a bag. I came home with wonderful memories, a few pieces I love and more questions than answers.

This month, I share how Paris leather appointments went for me, what employees said about stock before the holidays and the continuing Birkin Sellier discussion. There is also a reported change to U.S. Special Orders worth checking before settling on a configuration.

Three things to keep in mind:

• Online appointment requests and in-store enquiries are different experiences.
• Employees anticipated more handbags before the holidays, without promising particular models.
• The Birkin Sellier and Kelly Pochette reports concern different questions: production and Special Order availability.

Paris appointments: the lottery and asking in store

The process commonly called the Paris appointment lottery starts with an online request. The official Hermès appointment website for Paris invites visitors to apply the day before their desired appointment, between 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Paris time. The page also specifies a connection to a local Wi-Fi network.

Asking inside a boutique about a cancellation or an available slot is a separate enquiry. My experience with those conversations should not be taken as an explanation of how online applicants are selected.

I tried both approaches. During my visit, I was eventually offered a leather appointment. It gave me the opportunity to discuss my preferences, although no bag was available to offer.

When comparing Paris stories, look at how the appointment was obtained, which bags were requested and what was actually offered. Those details make the experience more useful to someone planning their own visit.

Source: official Hermès Paris appointment website, application instructions.

More stock before the holidays? What employees told me

Employees told me stock was limited ahead of Fashion Week and that they expected more handbags before the holiday period.

That was encouraging, but it was an expectation shared during our conversations rather than a confirmed delivery schedule.

More stock would not necessarily mean more Birkin 25s, Mini Kellys or the exact leather and color on your wishlist. I would not plan a trip around that expectation alone.

The Birkin Sellier question is not new

The Birkin 25 Sellier is a personal favourite. When I asked about it in Paris, an adviser told me it was no longer being produced.

Similar comments appear in online collector discussions going back to September 2025. Several participants reported being told that the Birkin Sellier could no longer be ordered or was being discontinued. One person said the restriction applied only to Special Orders.

These accounts resemble what I was told in Paris. They do not establish whether the change covers every size, leather and ordering channel, or whether it is permanent. We have not found a public Hermès announcement clarifying its scope.

U.S. Special Orders: a separate Kelly Pochette update

In a September 15 update, PurseBop reported that the Kelly Pochette had been removed from U.S. Fall 2026 Special Order options, including exotic leathers. The report draws on community members who placed Special Orders during September.

PurseBop also said availability outside the United States had not been confirmed.

This concerns one ordering channel, region and season. It does not establish that the Kelly Pochette has been discontinued.

If you receive an invitation, check your boutique's current options before settling on a configuration.

Source: PurseBop, Hermès 2026 Special Order Guide.

Founder’s note: enjoy the experience

Faubourg Saint-Honoré had façade renovations underway during my visit, concealed behind lovely decorative panels. Inside, there were beautiful pieces to discover, even when the ones I wanted were unavailable.

Silver jewellery surprised me most. Several models or sizes I requested could not be found. Yet I brought home pieces I had been unable to find at my home boutique.

Some of my warmest memories are from George V. It felt smaller and more personal and I particularly appreciated the team's welcome.

The appointment experience was less straightforward. Answers about availability varied from one conversation to the next, so it was hard to know what to expect.

When I received a leather appointment, the adviser discussed my preferences and checked what was possible. After another fifteen to twenty minutes, there was no bag to offer. I understood that my choices were difficult to obtain. A clearer indication of what was possible from the start would have helped me plan my day.

Next time, I would make shorter visits, return to someone with whom conversation felt natural and buy only pieces I genuinely loved. I would keep the focus of my bag journey at home.

The teams handle many requests every day. Kindness matters and I remain grateful for the people who made my visit memorable.

Enjoy the experience. Appreciate the craftsmanship. Leave time for Paris itself.

Your October check-in

A useful boutique note includes the date, location, exact item requested and what you were told. Distinguish what was expected from what happened so you can revisit the conversation accurately.

If you track a Purchase Ratio, identify travel purchases clearly and use consistent tracking rules. The free MyQuotaBag Purchase Ratio Calculator gives you a snapshot of your numbers. It does not predict an offer.

For more context, MyQuotaBag Data gathers public collector reports with their sources and limitations.

Keep your purchases, photos, dream items and boutique notes together. MyQuotaBag is free on the App Store for iPhone and iPad.

Observations combine public sources with the founder's visit notes. Staff comments are paraphrased from memory and are not official Hermès statements. Market values and boutique practices can change and community experiences should not be interpreted as official Hermès policy. This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute purchasing, financial or legal advice. Readers remain responsible for their own decisions.

MyQuotaBag is independent and is not affiliated with Hermès International or its affiliates. Reports and personal experiences do not establish universal boutique policy or guarantee appointments, availability or offers.