Nostalgia has a new mascot, and it comes with a padlock.

The Paddington bag, that softly slouched “It” purse and A-list aspiration from the early 2000s, is suddenly everywhere again — from Chloé’s fall 2025 runway to TikTok’s For You Page, competing for the attention of Gen Z’s and Millennials’ most devoted fashion enthusiasts.

In July, searches for “Chloe Paddington Bag” on Google reached a new peak, the highest since the original bag was released in 2005. The French fashion house is keeping up with the online interest, allowing customers to join a waiting list for the bag relaunch, which is scheduled for September. The coveted item will cost $2,750, a 99 percent increase from the original Paddington’s $1,380 price tag.

The bag’s instantaneous return to fame shouldn’t come as a surprise. Created by Phoebe Philo, the Paddington bag was described by WWD as Chloé’s “big bang” in 2012 and is one of the brand’s bestselling products from the early 2000s.

The Boho-inspired style featured a curved, soft design with an oversize padlock and equestrian-tinged straps that hinted at the current bag charms trend taking over the fashion world. Celebrities and fashion influencers alike were carrying the bag everywhere, including Sienna Miller, Kate Moss, Lindsay Lohan, Nicky Hilton, Kate Bosworth and Mischa Barton.

Creative director Chemena Kamali rereleased the Paddington bag and showcased it at the fall 2025 runway show during Paris Fashion Week in March. The presentation was inspired by fashion’s obsession with nostalgia.

“I was thinking a lot about how we romanticize the past, but through an intuitive lens,” Kamali told WWD ahead of the show. “Sometimes you keep, sometimes you don’t keep, but the wardrobe is like a natural evolution of our lives.”

Visually, the latest Paddington is a replica of its earlier edition, featuring the iconic padlock, buckled detailing and the recognizable aged-grain leather. What sets the new release apart is its significantly reduced weight, a practical update likely to win favor with anyone concerned about heavy and sturdy handbags. It also suits extra embellishments — on the catwalk, it was styled with a playful faux-fur tail.

Among celebrities, Rachel Sennott and Daisy Edgar-Jones have been recently photographed carrying their new Paddington bags.

The Paddington’s success also points to the return of the Y2K satchel bags — Marc Jacobs released a new satchel silhouette in July, The Christina — and the “It” bag revivals, with Millennials’ favorite Balenciaga City bag, the Celine Phantom, the Prada Cleo, and the Fendi Spy currently reaching a new audience on social media. Following the trend, Mulberry’s Alexa bag could be next in line for a renaissance.