Fashion's Next Vintage 'It' Bag Is an Unexpected Throwback
Balenciaga's City bag, fashion's reigning vintage "it" bag, has an unexpected challenger.
Chloé, a brand enjoying a resurgence in popularity thanks its new creative director, Chemena Kamali, is having something of a renaissance. As celebrities and shoppers alike embrace the label's revamped look, they're also reconsidering its vintage bags — specifically, styles like the Paddington, Silverado, and Kerala.
If you were even remotely interested in fashion in the mid-2000s, you'll likely recognize these names. All three were launched by then-creative director Phoebe Philo, whose reign at Chloé saw its leather goods really take off.
These Philo-designed handbags — particularly the Paddington — all had their heyday. But they waned in popularity as the 2010s welcomed a new breed of must-have accessories, like Balenciaga's oversized Motocross, CELINE's Luggage tote, and Givenchy's Antigona.
Now, the pendulum is swinging back. According to vintage fashion platform The RealReal, searches for vintage Chloé bags are seeing an 82 percent increase year-over-year. Searches for the Paddington, specifically, are up 129 percent — and searches for the Kerala have surged eightfold.
The bags are also taking off across TikTok as influencers flaunt their vintage finds. "I am fulfilled as a human being," creator Helena Ludo wrote in a video (viewed over 2 million times) showing off her new Chloé Paddingtons.
"I've been waiting years since the Balenciaga City bag revival for the Chloé Paddington to make a similar type of resurgence," fashion creator Mandy Lee said. "I think now is really the time."
Kamali's refreshed vision for Chloé is sparking a new kind of nostalgia — less for the brash cheekiness of Y2K style (a trend that has continued to maintain his chokehold on fashion) but a more demure early aughts fad: boho chic, pioneered by celebrities like the Olsen twins and Sienna Miller.
Kamali represents the future of Chloé (arguably the king of boho chic), but she's also inspiring shoppers to appreciate the label's rich past. Enter: a new generation of Chloé devotees who are wearing their love for the label slung across their shoulder.
