Cast your mind back to 2005. You’re likely wearing skinny jeans, a boho blouse, ballet flats, and, if you’re lucky, a Chloé Paddington bag – or at least one inspired by it. Two decades later, all of the above has made a return, including that distinctive, lock-adorned bag.
The Paddington was first seen at Chloé’s spring/summer 2005 show, slung upon the shoulder of an oversized blazer, alongside a wispy chiffon blouse, skinny sequinned scarf, and silk skirt. The brainchild of Phoebe Philo, the house’s creative director from 2001 to 2006, the bag had a curved, east-west silhouette, equestrian-tinged straps, and, though practically logoless, it was to become instantly recognisable thanks to its extra-large, leather-covered padlock.
Editors loved it, as did celebrities including Sienna Miller, Kate Bosworth, Mischa Barton, and Nicky Hilton, who were all photographed with the bag nestled in the crook of their arms. The Paddington had achieved It-bag status, with all 8,000 units selling out on pre-order before they even hit the shop floor. This is all despite the Paddington’s somewhat impractical design, with straps that only just fit over the shoulder and a hefty weight, thanks to that beautiful but heavy lock.
Like all It bags, somewhere along the way, the Paddington was relegated to the backs of wardrobes, making a brief return in 2013, in celebration of Chloé’s 60th birthday, but otherwise remaining something of a Y2K relic. It even found its way into the Victoria and Albert Museum’s Textile and Fashion collection, an icon of a bygone era.
Until a couple of years ago, you could pick up a pre-loved Paddington for little more than £100 and if you had the foresight to do so, you should feel deservedly smug. Then, in March 2024, Chemena Kamali – Chloé’s new creative director (and former intern to Philo) – shared her first show for the house. The autumn/winter 2024 collection heralded the return of boho, and sparked new interest in the Paddington bag, which had already been gaining traction amongst early adopters.
That year, pre-loved platform The RealReal reported a 129 per cent increase in searches for the Paddington, and this shows no sign of slowing down; more recently, creator platform LTK saw searches for the bag skyrocket by 3,000 per cent, while a cursory search on TikTok throws up hundreds of videos of (mostly Gen Z) fashion fans showing off their pre-loved Paddingtons.
Be it a response to the zeitgeist or a long-held plan, Chloé is officially relaunching their original It bag, as revealed at the autumn/winter 2025 show in March. “As I started working on this collection, I felt that moving forward is just as important as honouring the past,” said Chemena Kamali. “I thought about how we romanticise the past through an intuitive lens, blending [...] what we once loved with what we love today. The memories of bygone eras.”
The new Paddington is visually identical to its predecessor, from the famous padlock and buckled sides, to its familiar grained leather that only gets better with age. There is one vital difference, however – the new bag is considerably lighter, a design choice that will please osteopaths everywhere. It also looks great adorned with accoutrements; on the catwalk, it was ornamented with a faux-fur tail charm. You may also want to follow the lead of a handful of pre-loved Paddington owners, who have tracked down rare, teeny-tiny versions of the bag with which to accessorise theirs.
Although it appeared on the catwalk in burgundy, khaki and grey-toned navy, the new Paddington will be available to buy in black, brown, cream, and beige – as per Chloé’s dedicated microsite, via which you can join the waiting list. The bag will be available to buy in store and online in September, but If you can’t wait until then, there are a whole host of beautiful – albeit slightly weighty – Paddingtons to choose from on pre-loved platforms, some of which we’ve spotlighted for you above.
