Home to the state’s wealthiest portion of the population, many of the southeast’s most sought-after estates, and the premier shopping centers of not just Georgia but its neighboring states as well, Buckhead, a commercial district in the northern portion of Atlanta’s city limits, has made a name for itself by dealing in luxury.
Luxury car dealerships, luxury high-rises, luxury dining, luxury hotels, and of course, luxury shopping all make Buckhead one of the most desired zip codes to eat, work, play, stay, and shop.
And with its proximity to the world’s busiest international airport and a booming entertainment and sports industry, consumers from around the globe flock to this luxury hub to see what is in store for them.
About the Shopping…
Though not as world-renowned as more universally recognized cities where wealth, fame, status, and luxury collide (like Los Angeles, New York City, Tokyo, Paris, and London), with not one, not two, but three luxury shopping centers, each just a stone’s throw away, Buckhead’s retail scene is nothing to scoff at.
To name just a few, Buckhead is home to the likes of Dior, Fendi, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, Neiman Marcus, Prada, Saks, Givenchy, and the southeast’s only Hermès brick and mortar location (aside from South Florida).
Arguably the crown jewel of the Atlanta retail scene (proof in its impending 2024 departure from one shopping center for another, attaining Nobu Hotel proximity and a larger space, making headlines), Hermès has flooded the Buckhead luxury bag market.
About the Bags…
Step into Midtown or the suburbs of Atlanta, and a Birkin will be almost impossible to spot. They just aren’t there. But one stroll through the streets of Buckhead, especially those weaving through and between their luxury retail centers like Buckhead Village, Lenox Mall, and Phipps Plaza, and Birkins, Kellys, Picotins, and Evelynes, will flood your sightlines.
From bright red Birkin 30s to light blue mini Kellys and ostrich Picotins, the Hermès bags of Buckhead come with as much diversity as do their respective caretakers.
“I wouldn’t say there’s a specific demographic by any means,” says Ford Chapman, local Hermès-lover and manager of Buckhead Village’s luxury-consignment store, SacDeLux, on who he sees carrying Birkins the most. He sees “people of all ages and races carrying Hermès bags in different sizes, colors, and styles depending on their personal taste.”
Unlike the monotonous barrage of Chanel flaps and Louis Vuitton logo-coated bags that often accompany Birkins and other various Hermès offerings through the streets of Buckhead, the Hermès bags almost always scream whimsy, personal taste, and a true love for the brand being carried.
Why Hermès?
Often special orders are accompanied by adorable little charms or wrapped in colorful scarves. More often than not, the individuals carrying these bags do so for the love of the brand’s heritage and quality, the ease with which they move throughout the world and the sparkle they add to even the simplest of looks.
Of course, as with any luxury brand, some do seem to carry for the sake of carrying, for the sense of status they feel the item will bring, but for people like Chapman, the love for Hermès runs so much deeper.
Chapman cites iconic pop culture moments in Gilmore Girls, Sex and the City, and hip hop as reasons why his love for these bags began to take hold. He also notes their “fairly simple look, which lends to a very versatile style,” allowing them “to be used in any event from a quick grocery store run to a formal black tie event.”
Though the price tag may make some feel otherwise, the Hermès bag truly is an everyday bag.
“It’s just really easy to take with you,” says our ostrich Picotin holder seen below. “I have everything I need in it. I don’t have to overstuff it. It’s a perfect bag for everyday use.”
Whether Birkin carriers, Kelly toters, Picotin or Evelyne haulers, the streets of Buckhead will present Hermès lovers headed to lunch with the girls, out shopping away the weekend or getting dinner to celebrate an important birthday or anniversary, and they will all be toting their favorite Hermès bag.
Some may have gotten their bag second-hand, some may have gone through a rigorous purchasing process assisted by a personal Hermès Sales Associate (as described by PurseBlog’s go-to Hermès expert, the Notorious Pink), some may have been gifted their go-to Hermès by a beloved mother or grandmother, or, let’s face it, some may have bought a fake just for the hell of it (more on that here).
Regardless, the Birkin effect on Buckhead is real. They’re everywhere, and like Hermès as a brand, which has seen the Birkin’s investment value rise by more than 500% in the last 35 years and has no shortage of waitlisted fashionistas eager to land their dream bags (“Birkin!” or “Kelly!” are the usual response to my asking what a bag lover’s dream bag is no matter which city I’m in), they aren’t going anywhere.
And unless opting for a larger space in a more prime location indicates anything other than raging success in the Buckhead market, neither is the Buckhead storefront. Long live the Birkins of Buckhead.
Photos via @bykylemark for PurseBlog
Hi everyone! I wanted to let you know that we are actively monitoring the comments on this discussion and will immediately remove any racist comments. With that being said, this post was intended to be a fun, playful look at the Hermès bags people carry in Atlanta that we have seen. While it opened up a far more extensive conversation, remember that our site has always been politically-free. We, of course, want to allow discussion, even if the discussion is not favorable toward our editorial, but we will not tolerate racist commentary.
Dear Meg,
As the editor, I encourage you to acknowledge that nothing is inherently “politically-free.” Every aspect of human life is deeply political. I don’t mean “political” as in Republicans vs Democrats. I mean the word in its Greek sense.
The content of PurseBlog has an obvious political dimension because it deals with money, power, and communities. It deals with sustainability, manufacturing methods, and business models. It deals with the importance of representation. It deals with art.
I want to believe that most of your readers are very smart. They can simultaneously admire beautiful bags and consider these bags within the larger socio-cultural context in which they exist. They can and they have been able to carry insightful and respectful conversations in the comment sections.
In the end, these animated discussions are quite a testament to the power of PurseBlog: it’s not just a little site about bags… it’s a window into people’s lives and experiences.
I suspect that there is a certain self-imposed pressure to keep the blog as innocuous as possible to please advertisers. Yet, I hope you appreciate that you have created a platform that is perhaps more meaningful than you originally intended.
My comment was short and more general; nothing is as simple as a few sentences that I can put together.
I wholeheartedly agree with you. While on our forums, we have kept a set of rules that we have members abide by, on PurseBlog itself, we have been able to have deeper conversations because this is far more than just a bag. I always welcome conversation, dissenting opinions, and opinions from everyone, as no two people’s lives are the same. I always know that my view is not the only view and is not the reality for everyone else.
My comment above was more about the blatantly and outwardly racist comments that I will never allow here, along with the outwardly political comments (in this, I mean actually political speaking on Democrat/Republican, etc).
I wish for commenters to come to this site and share their opinions, give a different view, open up discussion, and point out issues with our editorial if they find them, but also do so in a way that is still respectful. This specific comment thread did not follow this with some comments, and those are the ones I needed to delete.
I am always amazed and thrilled by how this site has grown over the years, and feel incredibly lucky for us to have such a diverse readership. I hope that the readers keep coming back and sharing their thoughts, whatever they may be, and helping all of us (myself included) learn, grow, and open our minds to the world in ways we may not have previously.
Sadly, Buckhead is infamous for being a supermajority-white neighborhood trying to secede from the diverse city of Atlanta, and thereby further depleting the city’s public funding. After you’re done gawking at the beautiful bags featured in this article, I encourage you to google this for more context as to why there is such a concentration of wealth in this zip code.
This. This article is weirdly timed, quite tone-deaf (even the photos…), and on top of it all we have a fakey in the orange “Birkin”.
The article literally points out that there are often fakes since the brand is so popular… so the “fakey” photo isn’t out of place at all. Hope this helps!
How can you tell it’s fake? (Sincere question)
I agree with the question. Nothing stands out to me except for perhaps the foot at the bottom is a tad too long?
The feet are wrong and also look at the base of the handles. The shape is slightly different and a little off-kilter.
Exactly this, plus the turnlock is wrong, the plates on the sangles are not straight, and the handles are too thick.
I understand the author mentions fakes, but didn’t think PB would lead with one in “The Real Birkins of….”.
Hope that is not a crime? Or is it? Being from New Orleans then I would say we have a lot of congregated criminals here.
I love that you placed context to this article. It’s nice to know about beautiful bags and where they are popular as it’s just kind of fun trivia, but it’s also so important… more important that we realize how privileged all this is… and the deeper story with all its complexity.
If you are honest with yourself you know the reason for Buckhead trying to form its own entity. Violence is rampant and the City of Atlanta cannot protect its citizens.
100%true Atlanta has rough Detroit and Chicago to Buckhead and residents being murdered and robbed in their driveways
So your solution is to keep rich white people separate? Got it. 🙄
Absolutely this.
This is one of the most poorly written articles I have ever read here (or pretty much anywhere). Consider editing for clarity, introducing punctuation and breaking up overly long single sentences into two or more shorter sentences. And glorifying a Southern neighborhood’s dress-to-impress parade is hardly noteworthy. It’s typical monetary one upmanship on full display. Think “Mean Girls” with a drawl. No thanks.
Did you see the site you were on before you commented? It’s called purse blog babe. Try again!
Stop trying to make Georgia happen. It’s not gonna happen.
This is a bizarre article that shouldn’t have been published.
This is a bizarre comment that shouldn’t have been posted.
I agree with the other comments. This was an ill-timed, contemptuous, insane article, firing at non-Hermès carriers for lacking taste, and revelling in so-called éducation when it is called privilège. The line about doing so for the love of the brand and history was ludicrous, just like celebrating these people’s individuality while they all shop from the same brand.
Lately Purseblog has been offering a tribune to severely prejudiced and conceited people. I wonder whether this is a wish choice given the Zeitgeist. I guess only the future can tell. I have been reading you for years but you have ceased to amuse me, and have disappointed me more than once.
Not from the US so will limit my comment to the frivolous aspects:
-Why the disdain for Chanel and LV lovers as monotonous, without whimsy, personal taste or true love for the brand? I have and love bags from both Hermes and Chanel, don’t get the need for such baseless dissing of people who carry Chanel or LV.
– Inane and very poorly written and edited article, with overly convoluted sentences
Also in Europe. The article would have been better without the snark and generalization directed at people carrying Neverfulls and Chanel flaps. A Neverfull-owning friend has a chalet in the Swiss Alps and an apartment in Paris. She is also the niece of a world-famous designer, who custom designed a bag just for her. I think her style stands up to that of any Buckhead Birkinite.
Being from Atlanta, I would like to put my 2 cents in. I lived in Buckhead as a young adult, and went to high school in Peachtree City(one of the wealthiest zip codes in the state) and Buckhead has gotten dangerous!! The concentration of wealth may be astounding to outsiders, however Atlanta is VERY segregated and classist. You wouldn’t be hard pressed to find Birkins in predominantly Black neighborhoods as Atlanta was the home of the black upwardly mobile and many of these “neighborhoods you wouldn’t see a Birkin in” are home to doctors, lawyers, engineers, mayors, civil rights leaders, etc. This article is tone deaf and poorly researched. I would also like to add that and doesn’t belong at the beginning on a sentence and better editing is needed.
This is the most cringeworthy blog post I have read in recent times. It screams privilege, see examples:
Once you check out the young author’s insta and more, it will all become clear to you.
What is their IG?
Racist much?
“…on who he sees carrying Birkins the most”
What??? Stringing words together that don’t make sense throughout this inane article.
Really? You really don’t know what those words together mean? Be fr
The RHOA is a black women reality show. So you are saying black women who could afford to live (earning a living legitimately )in in Buckhead is the reason for crime and should not be there. What logic are you following in making this conclusion?
that is exactly what she is blaming it on!
The “Real” Birkins of Buckhead as per the title, only the white privileged persons in Atlanta are able to own this symbol of white supremacy
“RHOA crowd” – “savages” ya’ll still trying to hide under your sheets and call black women all out of their names! mad because they have the money to shop at the same places you do. how dare they!
The author should proofread. Hermès is misspelled multiple times in this “article” about Hermès.
Apologies, I fixed it.
Does anyone know what the official color name is for the pink birkin?
Perhaps rose confetti?
Racist comments like this need to be monitored and taken down immediately. I am stunned and disgusted. I will never read purse blog again.
I guess people are just openly racist on PurseBlog now? wow
What sneakers is the lady with ostrich picotin wearing?
I love oversized birkins on people. Its so chic and casual. Sadly oversized birkin doesnt fit my lifestyle since i drive and just carry wallet , phone and keys. I dont like to carry much when travelling my plane either.
If you zoom in, you can see the Nike swoosh on the side. I don’t wear Nike, but based on what my sons wear, these may be Nike Air Max.
Coming in from mowing my lawn (over an hour and I am zonked and sweaty), I sat down with leftover Chinese and read this article.
I found it interesting (never heard of Buckhead) and the comments even more so. My comment is this–I simply do not understand the rationale behind that dinky Kelly bag that most likely cost a a small fortune for its impractical size. The woman is carrying her phone even, doesn’t even stick it in the dinky Kelly!
I lived in Georgia for years, until 2020.
Wonder if Buckhead is still trying to separate from Atlanta? The area was trying.
I never did get over to the shops where Hermes is located. I do know Lenox got real sketchy for a while, which may have been the impetus for the new shopping center.
I have a bit more to add. Unless you’re Southern born as I am, and your time in the south goes back to the ‘50’s, like mine, you cannot begin to understand the complexity of the south. There’s the racial component, there’s the income disparity, there’s city/ country folk division, there’s the people from elsewhere who have money and come in to Buckhead and try to secede from ATL. And believe me when I say. Atlanta and Georgia are 2 very different animals.
And did you know Georgia votes red? Had you told me that would happen someday, I’d have called you a liar.
Very well stated Catherine! I have lived in Holmby Hills CA for nearly 40 years now but, I am from Alabama. One has to be born into the area to really understand the mentality of those living there. ATL is a completely different animal from GA the State!
What design is the silk in the third image, on the blue birkin? It’s driving me mad not recognising it!
Baobab Cat by Ardmore Artists from A/W 2018