“Nordstrom Welcomes Hermes” Pop-Up Shop Collaboration

Shoppers get excited! This isn’t news you hear everyday – Nordstrom and Hermes have joined together to form the ultimate collaboration. Nordstrom’s flagship store in Seattle will be home to a new, Hermes pop-up shop called “Nordstrom Welcome Hermes”. The Nordstrom Welcome Hermes store will sell silks for men and women and select pieces of Hermes jewelry. The pop-up shop also features a creative exhibition that allows customers to get up close and personal with Hermes silks. The centerpiece of the store is a “silk room” with hundreds of strands of brightly colored silk hanging from the ceiling.

Photo Courtesy: Nordstrom

Photo Courtesy: SeattleTimes

This is an interesting collaboration since Hermes, as brand, is very selective about forming partnerships. According to the Seattle Times, President and CEO of Hermes USA, Robert Chavez, recently stated, “the brand has never set up a stand-alone boutique before, and has never displayed its luxury goods outside of glass cases overseen by helpful but vigilant salespeople. You [have] to ask to see something and wait for it to be unfurled.” This pop-up shop is all about accessibility. Customers can touch nearly everything and truly get a sense of the intricate designs on each silk. In an interview with WWD, Chavez further explained that Hermes is excited about the attention that this new venture will bring:

“Our goal was to give Hermès exposure to a broader audience, one which has most likely never come into a Hermès boutique before. The categories to be offered are men’s and women’s silk and jewelry accessories. What we like to call ‘recruitment’ metiers or product categories.”

Photo Courtesy: SeattleTimes

So, how did this mind-blowing collaboration come together? Nordstrom’s director of creative projects, Olivia Kim, advocated for the idea sometime ago and after negotiations with Hermes, the duo finally decided to launch something spectacular. In general, Hermes is very hesitant to participate in retail and department store sales in order to preserve their own storefronts. However, Nordstrom has a long-standing reputation for extraordinary customer service and presented an incredible opportunity. As described by Oliva Kim,

“I think what makes it really special is that it’s the first time in Hermès’ world where they separated out their métier. They’ve always really had the entire world of Hermès represented in all of their own stores. It’s interesting for us to be able to launch a concept that’s just solely focused around accessories, which was really modern. It feels like a new way of capturing a different type of customer and to capture potentially a younger customer or a ‘new to the brand’ customer.”

Kim seems to be correct. The Nordstrom Welcomes Hermes boutique is a fun, playful experience that highlights the beauty of Hermes accessories. The store will surely get a lot of attention over the next year. If you’re dying for a chance to visit, the Nordstrom Hermes Pop-Up shop in Seattle will be open October 18, 2016 through the end of 2017.