An It Bag from the 2000s makes an unexpected comeback

The City bag by Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton's Speedy, and Chanel's Classic Flap better get worried, as a trio of newcomers (or rather, old-timers that had been gathering dust in the back of the closet) bags have resurfaced as the most popular and sought-after vintage bags of the moment: the Paddington, Silverado, and Kerala by Chloé. Fans of 2000s aesthetics and the stars who made them iconic, like Paris Hilton and Christina Aguilera, will know what we're talking about. These three models were created by none other than Phoebe Philo, who left Chloé in 2006 after over a decade of successful work to head over to Céline before departing to launch her own brand in 2023. Here's a look back at the history of these It-bags, from their meteoric rise in the 2000s to their downfall a few years later, and their return in the wardrobes of vintage-savvy fashionistas today.

Debuting in 2004 and part of the very first handbag line launched by the brand in 2002, the Paddington became one of the main character, if not the leading actor, in Chloé’s handbag story, becoming its first It-bag and giving the brand global visibility. “The 8,000 units produced in 2005 sold out before they even hit the stores,” explains Vogue US. With its soft leather, ability to hold a large amount of beloved feminine clutter—anything from a 700-page novel to a small lip gloss—and its emblematic lock, the bag immediately won over a wide audience. From pink-and-rhinestone-wearing trendsetters to rock-style stars like Courtney Love, everyone wanted one. It was reinvented in 2019 by Chloé's then-creative director Natacha Ramsay-Levi with the Aby bag, which unapologetically embraced the DNA and essence of the Paddington.

By 2010, however, the downfall came, and was a painful one. With the arrival of innovative models that were completely different from this now overly familiar bag, such as Saint Laurent's Sac de Jour created by Hedi Slimane, Givenchy's Antigona by Riccardo Tisci, or Balenciaga's Motocross, the Paddington and its two companions were somewhat forgotten. But as fashion is a fascinating endless loop where elements shift from being ultra-trendy to outdated in a heartbeat, these three icons of leather goods have recently made a comeback, spotted on the arms of the most seasoned fashion enthusiasts. According to vintage fashion platform The RealReal, searches for vintage Chloé bags increased by 82% year-over-year. Searches for the Paddington, in particular, have surged by 129%, and those for the Kerala have multiplied eightfold. Social media, of course, plays a crucial role in this resurgence, especially given the aesthetic’s compatibility with the bag customization trend « à la Miu Miu », which consists of adding keychains and various charms to your bag, have been all the rage on Pinterest these past months.

This renaissance of Chloé's leather goods category could also be attributed to the arrival of Chemena Kamali as the brand’s new creative director in early 2024. She has brought a breath of fresh air into the brand while bringing with her a somewhat nostalgic vision of the 2000s and the fashion that defined that era. However, one recurring critique persists: its weight. Weighing no less than 1 kg even when empty, users on social media, who once proudly flaunted their great vintage finds, are now admitting defeat, acknowledging they have to part with it because it’s simply too heavy to carry. Nevertheless, this revival signals a resurgence not only of the Y2K aesthetic that never strays far from the spotlight and had already come back in full force with the brat trend, mainly composed of rhinestone belts and Von Dutch t-shirts, but also of the late 1980s boho chic style with its wide leather belts worn over long skirts, all paired with leather boots and, of course, a matching oversized bag.