Leave it to Katie Holmes to make a once-loved classic cool again.
Earlier this month, Michael Rider, the new creative director at the helm of Céline, resurrected one of the brand’s iconic bags: the Phantom Luggage, an It bag from the ’10s that was released by then creative director Phoebe Philo in 2011. Our nostalgia was triggered to the nth degree the moment we saw it on the catwalk.
But it’s not the only iconic and nostalgic bag that we want to resurrect this year. As forecasted, another style—from Chloé’s archives, courtesy of creative director Chemena Kamali—from 2005 is back in vogue in 2025: the Chloé Paddington bag.
Holmes on the set of Happy Hours
XNY/Star Max
Back in the early aughts, when celebrities carried handbags on the red carpet (a big no no on today’s step-and-repeats), Kate Moss, Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Jennifer Lopez, and Lindsay Lohan, as well as a legion of music and TV stars, rarely went out without a Paddington clutch. (Even Lohan’s 2006 wax figure at Madame Tussauds sported one.) Now, 20 years later, Holmes is bringing the bag out of retirement. The actor has been photographed carrying the iconic purse while filming Happy Hours, the forthcoming trilogy that reunites Holmes and her Dawson’s Creek costar Joshua Jackson.
The 46-year-old was spotted carrying this comeback bag in black, pairing it with a denim shirt, navy blue pants, and black ballet flats, as well as with blue trousers and a red flannel. She even carried the Paddington while wearing sweatpants, a sweatshirt, and Birkenstocks with socks. Clearly, this is her character’s emotional-support purse. The range!
Holmes on the set of Happy Hours
Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin
MEGA
However, with the return of the boho ’70s aesthetic, the Paddington bag is as easy as ever to style—the perfect everyday bag for running errands, heading to work, or filming a movie. And what more can you ask for from a handbag, really?
This article first appeared on Vogue Spain.
