Savannah James, wife of NBA star LeBron James, stated that an employee at the luxury fashion house Hermès was fired after failing to acknowledge her pre-booked appointment. The incident occurred during a visit to a Hermès store in Milan, Italy.
James and her business partner, April McDaniel, recounted the experience on the podcast "Question Everything." McDaniel described the initial encounter, saying, "One time we went to Milan [and] they treated us like s–t." She added that the employee was subsequently fired, a claim James corroborated.
"We had an appointment," James explained on the podcast. McDaniel further elaborated, stating that she confronted the situation, saying, "I said, ‘Baby, you caught the wrong one today.’"
According to their account, other Hermès employees then closed down the store and escorted them to a private room. They were offered champagne, caviar, and macarons, and McDaniel remarked on purchasing numerous items, including bathing suits and silverware.
James, a businesswoman who co-founded the holding company Signed, which focuses on women-owned businesses and media ventures, also shared a similar experience at a Chanel store in Paris. In that instance, McDaniel intervened when Savannah James was reportedly told she could not touch a purse. McDaniel stated she insisted on speaking with a manager and threatened to close down the store.
Savannah James and April McDaniel also co-host the podcast "Everybody's Crazy."