People & Planet
25th Birthday: Our Creative Director on Her Two Decades at Radley
13 May 2024
Helping us blow out the candles for our 25th birthday is Zizi, our Creative Director, who has been part of the brand for over two decades. As someone who understands Radley London inside and out, we had to chat with her about the incredible experiences she has had, and what her hopes are for the next 25 years.
“Since the start we’ve always created beautiful bags that are made with attention to detail, and an emphasis on hand finished details.”
FROM THE BEGINNING
“I knew from my first interview that Radley London was perfect for me; the founder had a vision that was an exciting challenge for me. Something clicked, and I guess the people interviewing me felt the same, as I was offered the job the same day. This was 2001, crazy as that seems - it genuinely doesn’t feel that long as my world is always changing season by season.
“I started in a Designer role, progressed up the ranks and now have the pleasure of overseeing Radley's creative aesthetic. I’d previously been working with a luggage brand and went on to design handbags for the accessory arm of the business.
“Radley London were leading the way in high quality, affordable leather designs and over the years we’ve continued to build on that. Since the start we’ve always created beautiful bags that are made with attention to detail in every aspect of their development, with an emphasis on hand finished details and an added ‘something special’, defining what that is is difficult to describe!
“I remember asking on my first day what the significance of the Scottie dog was. The brand founder had seen a stylish woman on the street somewhere in London, and she was walking a cute Scottie dog, and that’s how our mascot was born.”
“I think that’s probably my favourite thing about what I do, knowing I’m creating a woman’s best friend.”
AT THE FOREFRONT OF DESIGN
“I’ve stayed at the brand for this long because the Radley world is always progressing and evolving. We work season to season, so our design focus changes and a ‘new world’ and its challenges appears ahead of my team and I. We love that challenge. We love design, we love colour, and we love new things – it’s the perfect combination to keep us enjoying what we do. There’s always something extra to any design we create and we never just settle, we perfect – what’s not to love! New trends, new treatments, new colours, new materials... fashion is always evolving and that’s what makes my world so interesting; we never stand still.
“We’ve always been conscious of creating our handbags and accessories in the most sustainable way, and working closely with our supply partners, this has evolved over the years. We’ve always used leather from responsible sources - and now we use a range of recycled materials in our sustainable Radley Responsible ranges. It’s been exciting to push ourselves as Designers to do our jobs mindfully, minimising waste at every step. Our designs aren’t disposable - they're made to be worn and loved for a lifetime - so why would the journey to creating them be any different.
“Any designer would agree that inspiration can come from anywhere, especially living in London. We love going to exhibitions as a team, but we’ll also be checking out what the women around us are wearing on our way there, sharing social media posts and links to exciting things we find online that spark an idea.
“I know firsthand how important a handbag is to a woman. I’m lost without mine. I think that’s probably my favourite thing about what I do, knowing I’m creating a woman’s best friend and understanding how our handbag usage evolves whether that’s using bigger bags as we return to the office or smaller styles as our lives become more digital”
“If I could give any advice to my younger self, or to anyone starting out in a career in design, it would be to trust your gut and believe in your choices.”
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS (SO FAR)
“In the past I’ve run out of pages in my passport from travelling the globe for my job; I’ve been so fortunate. Whether it was doing research in Japan or Stockholm, or building relationships while visiting with our wonderful supply partners. They’ve worked with Radley London for longer than I have, we’ve built the brand together and we’re still creating our wonderful designs together. Our design and trend research has become more instinctive and dynamic but there’s something magical about soaking it all in in real life.
“I’ve been lucky enough to build some incredible friendships too, and work with some very talented people. Variety is exciting for me and no two days are the same. We're always coming up with fresh ideas we want to deliver to our customers.
“If I could give any advice to my younger self, or to anyone starting out in a career in design, it would be to trust your gut and believe in your choices.”
“Beautiful leather and attention to detail are in our DNA.”
LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR 50TH BIRTHDAY
“In 25 years' time, I hope that Radley London is still the brand trusted for our amazing quality that we deliver to our customers at incredible prices. Beautiful leather and attention to detail are in our DNA and the driving force for myself and my amazing team. But we’re also really good at seeing the fun side of life and don’t take ourselves too seriously. It’s a special combination.”
We couldn’t let her go without asking one more question. What do you keep in your work bag, Zizi?
“A lot! And I generally choose to carry two. I'm spoilt for choice so it's inevitable! On a typical day I have my laptop, my iPad for sketching on the go, a spare pair of shoes (maybe even clothes to change into for the evening) and I carry these in a tote or backpack. Plus perfume, keys, a notebook and, of course, lipstick in my cross body to keep them accessible.”
Thank you, Zizi, we’ve loved celebrating our 25th birthday with you. And the celebrations don’t stop there, make sure you see all of our special edition designs. Take a look back over the past 25 years, including where we got our start. And meet some more of Team Radley.
Keep an eye on our social media for lots more birthday fun throughout September.
