by Lily S

Created on: July 22, 2010

Radley is a British company which was founded in 1988 by Lowell Harder. Lowell Harder was an Australian woman and mother of three, who was a trained architect, and who turned her hand to designing handbags. She had come to England while travelling and met a Danish man in London, whom she married and settled down with. 

She first started selling her bags on a stall in London's Camden Market, in 1984, under the name "Hidesign". They were all hand crafted, with hand stitched leather and with unusual colours and patterns. She has revealed in interviews that her inspiration was the tan leather bags with vegetable dye brought back from India by her hippie cousin. She was struck by how different they looked compared to everything else that was on sale at the time. She contacted the man who made them in India, and started a joint venture with him, where she designed bags, and the manufacturer in India made them to her specifications.

Buyers from major department stores, who scout around Camden market for ideas, spotted her talent and started stocking her bags. This was the point when she realised she had a profitable business venture on her hands. The big break through was when the buyer from the influential department store John Lewis contacted her with a substantial order for her bags.

In the early 1990's, the bag maker Tula decided to offer her a contract to design handbags for them. This enabled Lowell Harder to expand, backed by Tula cash. It was during this period when her bags acquired the trademark leather dog motif (based on Lowell Harder's love of scottie dogs). In 2002, she bought out the Tula company, in a management buy out, and the name of the company was changed to Radley and Company. (The best selling line of bags in Tula was called Radley).

Since then, they have gone from strength to strength. Radley not only produce designer bags, but other accessories too - scarves, sunglasses, purses, and umbrellas (a must for an English company!). They even produce keyrings with the Radley scottie dog on them, as well as the full range of luxury luggage items.  

The bags are sold in most major UK outlets, and around the world, and can be seen on the arms of celebrities such as Natasha Beddingfield. The company is now estimated to be worth more than £150 million.  

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