In recent years, there has been a revival of archive Noughties It-bags — the Chloé Paddington was back on the runway (modelled by Alexa Chung no less) and Balenciaga has re-released the City bag, which was first launched by Nicolas Ghesquière in 2001. It’s not just about shiny relaunches, as many of these trends are actually starting off with a surge in interest on resale sites. Plus, many customers are purposefully opting for original It-bags in good to fair condition, with a worn-in look that makes it appear like an old treasure you’ve pulled it from the back of your wardrobe.
My bet is that the Bayswater is next. A Mulberry handbag has always been an emblem of British craftsmanship – it all started on founder Roger Saul’s kitchen table in Somerset in 1971, and half of its handbags are still produced in factories in the county, with a commitment to traditional techniques and British production. Although it has an extensive line-up of handbags, I would argue that the Bayswater is the UK’s original It-bag – when it launched in 2003 it quickly became aligned with the nation’s It-girls, worn by the likes of Kate Moss and Alexa Chung.
While the original Bayswater might not have quite hit the celebrity circuit like it did in the Noughties, the golden era of Mulberry bags, it is a classic silhouette that remains a wise investment and is currently seeing increased demand. Mulberry shared with Vogue that global sales of the Oak Bayswater in natural vegetable tanned leather (the style beloved by Alexa Chung in the Noughties) were up 30 per cent in April 2025 compared to the same period last year. While it also shares that searches for Bayswater were 255% higher in February 2025 compared to February 2024, with the brand explaining that “demand is currently outstripping supply” with a new drop arriving this month. All signs that the Bayswater is having a moment once again.
“There’s so much nostalgia for the Noughties, so it’s no surprise that the Mulberry Bayswater is enjoying a comeback right now,” says British Vogue’s second-hand expert, senior sustainability editor Emily Chan. “Not only is it easier than ever to get a pre-loved version for a more affordable price, it’s also better for the planet than buying new – a win-win situation!” The Mulberry Bayswater featured in our list of the most-sought after vintage bags of 2024, as Vestiaire Collective reported that the British accessories label was in the top three best-selling brands in the UK in that year. Mulberry also has its own a “pre-loved” section on its website, where it sells second-hand bags that have been authenticated and given some love by the artisans at one of its repair centres in Somerset – Bayswaters always feature heavily in the edit.
In 2024, Mulberry released a new take on the classic bag, named the Bayswater Soft, which features all the design hallmarks of the original, but with minimal hardware and a relaxed east-west silhouette. The postman lock flap is replaced with a less structured folded-over fastening and a more subtle logo near the base of the bag. This is in line with many of the It-bags du jour, which all have a subtle, if-you-know-you-know design sensibility.
