Bag Lady

Open any issue of this month's glossy magazines (meaning March, for the fashion uninitiated) and you will be find scores of pages dedicated to accessories and the season's must-have bag(s).

With the catwalk season already underway and fashion houses promoting their spring summer accessories to the max, the importance of having the most coveted piece of desirables is essential in the world of fashion. In fact, it's a necessity. This season, the Chloe Paddington bag is the bag to have slung over your shoulder. The problem - assuming your budget is in place and you have no qualms about spending £700 on a slouchy, buckled leather bag - is finding one in a shop.

These days, fashion advertising comes out before the product even hits the stores. So too with Chloe's Paddington beauty. Waiting lists for accessories that haven't left the factory is now as common as putting a pair of shoes on layaway. At Hermes, the much-loved Birkin bag still boasts a two-year waiting list and carries a price tag of a hefty £4,000.

The Chloe bag, however, has superseded all those other bags which were once the it-bag. Remember the Balenciaga Lariat Bag, the Fendi Baguette, or Gucci's Jackie bag? These, in their hey-day, caused a stir, but were accessible - even if you had to pull a few strings to get one. Not so for Chloe. This bag has sold out before a single one has made it to the boutique's shelves.

According to the Daily Telegraph, each of the 8000 Paddingtons produced for Spring Summer 2005 has been snapped up and accounted for. Leaving only the high-street knock-offs (which will no doubt be available shortly) to come in second place.

With 50 per cent of the bags going to Europe, 30 per cent to America and 20 per cent to Japan, owning a Paddington bag is as scarce as the aspiration of becoming a successful pop star. With a waiting list at Chloe's Sloane Street boutique and another waiting list of around 700 at net-a-porter.com, your chances are, well, rather slim.

For those a little more patient, Chloe plans on distributing the same bag for autumn, albeit in a different leather and colour. It may not be a Paddington but it will be as close as you can get.