Radley bags are now the best selling handbag in the U.K. They are now THE premiere handbag brand in the U.K. which is no easy feat considering they're competing against the likes of fashion powerhouses such as Gucci and Chanel. In recent months Radley have started a marketing push in the U.S. under the newly branded name of "Radley London" and are slowly increasing their brand awareness Stateside.

So what's so special about a Radley bag ? Well, although Radley produce a large variety of bags of different styles, colours and fabrics they are best known for their signature bag collection. Twice a year, Radley launch their signature bag which features a colourful scene of appliqued leather on the front of the bag. The scene always features the Radley logo, which is a Scottie dog, in a variety of different environments and situations. Although not to everyone's tastes these signature bags command a lot of attention wherever they are seen.

The release of a new Radley signature bag is always eagerly anticipated. Produced in relatively small numbers many of the more popular designs become collector's items and many vintage Radley bags cost more to buy now than they did when they were first released. Each Radley signature bag has it's own name in reference to the scene on the bag e.g. "By the seaside" bag and "Walk in the woods".

The signature bag and the Radley Scottie dog are intertwined as he appears on every signature bag ever made and ALWAYS takes centre stage !

In recent years the Radley signature bag comes with it's own little matching purse attached to the inside of the bag to accommodate keys or small coins. The craftsmandship is top quality as you would expect as signature bags are not prohibitively expensive but they're also not cheap. Average UK prices for a new signature bag are around £ 150 (around $ 240). For that price you get a quality designer leather bag that doesn't take itself too seriously. These type of Radley bags are real eye catchers and are worth every penny and cent.

Radley bags have gone from zero to fashion hero in the space of ten short years. Starting from a point where the Radley brand and company didn't even exist to a point a decade later where Radley bags have claimed the number one spot in the UK designer bag market is a remarkable achievement.

Radley was founded by an Australian lady by the name of Lowell Harder who lived in the U.K. Although an architect by trade Ms. Harder found her work uninspiring and so started looking for other ideas to pursue. Ms. Harder was introduced to leather and started experimenting with different designs. Before too long she was selling her bags at Camden market in London.

Then in the early 1990's Harder was invited to bring her company under the umbrella of Tula (a large bag manufacturing company). With financial backing Harder was able to pursue her dream of creating colourful and fun handbags that were different from the many dull and boring ones on the market.

The famous Radley logo was created almost by accident. Harder's love of dogs led her to design brightly coloured Scottie dog shapes on a few of her designs. These bags sold like hot cakes and Harder was urged by her design team to adorn all future products with the Scottie logo.

Now the bestselling handbag brand in the U.K. Radley has set it's sights on bringing it's creations to the rest of the world with particular focus on the U.S. and Japanese markets

The leather used in making Radley bags is from the finest quality leather available on the market. Soft and supple to the touch the leather is also remarkably durable against everyday scuffs and scratches.

As with any leather product, the more you look after it the longer it lasts. Many Radley bags are made from natural leather. Natural leather ages over time which gives each leather bag it's own characteristics.

Radley also produce leather care and clean products designed specifically for their own bags.

The following tips are useful for knowing the best way to clean Radley bags but can be equally applied against any other leather bag.

* Always wipe leather gently, do not scrub as the material may become damaged and scuffed.

* When using cleaning products, always test it on a hidden part of the bag first.

* Do not leave your leather handbag in direct sunlight.

* Try not to overfill your handbag as they will eventually lose their shape