Now you can never accuse the Daily Norm of neglecting its female audience, nor indeed the best of British. And in todays post, I’m targeting both. On a recent trip to my parents home, I was treated to a display of my mother’s new Radley picture bags. The bags, which are limited edition leather creations by London luxury bag maker, Radley, and which generally retail for around £200 each, are a pictorial delight, so much so that I just had to photograph them and share them on The Daily Norm. My mother now has one bag from each of the respective 2010, 2011 and 2012 collections, but a fair number of equally exceptional designs have gone before them. The bags are unique, playful and colourful – sufficient to brighten anyone’s day. Nonetheless, it is ironically recommended that the bags should be stored away, in their original packaging, and never touched – such is the value which attaches to these limited edition items. Like all things, it is tempting to pack limited edition items away for prosperity, but with whimsical scenes as good as these, surely this protectionist stance somewhat misses the point? At the very least, the bags require a regular outing around the house just so we can gaze at their jolly offerings.
The first bag of my mother’s collection is Beside the Seaside launched in the Spring Summer 2010 collection. Complete with beach huts, a deckchair, a seagull and a seaside promenade, it illustrates the archetypal British seaside resort.
Inside, the picture bags contain a little coin pouch, while the back of the bag has its own accompanying design.
My mother’s next purchase was the 2011 Autumn/ Winter picture bag, Through the Hoop, a wonderful Toulouse Lautrec inspired circus scene.
And here is it’s back and coin pouch.
Finally the 2012 Spring/Summer picture bag, Happy Camper, illustrating a typical camping scene complete with caravan, awning and summer barbeque. It appears that after only a week since its release, the bag has already sold out from the Radley website, but I’m sure overpriced resales are widely available on ebay!
So all this makes me think – I really need to make Norm handbags! Can you imagine the possibilities?! But how to go about it… If anyone knows someone who makes leather goods, please let me know! In the meantime I leave you with a picture of the bags all packed up in the protective drawstring bags ready for bed. Until next time…
Richard III (2016 ©Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, acrylic on canvas)
Norms in Dubrovnik take the Cable Car (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen and ink on paper)
Norms at La Pedrera (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen and ink on paper)
The Nighthawk Norms (after Hopper) (2012 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen on paper)
Norms in Pisa (2012 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen and ink on paper)
While for Parisian Norms, it’s not unusual to see Egyptians wondering by.
Norms in Soller (2013, © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown)
Tube Norms (2012, © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen on paper)
While these Norm tourists are at the Musée Rodin.
Norms at the Halloween House of Horrors (2012 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen on paper)
For Lisbon Norms this is a scene from every day life
Norms on Dubrovnik Beach (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen and ink on paper)
Norms visit the C’an Joan de S’Aigo (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen and ink on paper)
The Daily Norm 
Mar 27
Ravishing Radleys – The picture bags that keep on giving
Now you can never accuse the Daily Norm of neglecting its female audience, nor indeed the best of British. And in todays post, I’m targeting both. On a recent trip to my parents home, I was treated to a display of my mother’s new Radley picture bags. The bags, which are limited edition leather creations by London luxury bag maker, Radley, and which generally retail for around £200 each, are a pictorial delight, so much so that I just had to photograph them and share them on The Daily Norm. My mother now has one bag from each of the respective 2010, 2011 and 2012 collections, but a fair number of equally exceptional designs have gone before them. The bags are unique, playful and colourful – sufficient to brighten anyone’s day. Nonetheless, it is ironically recommended that the bags should be stored away, in their original packaging, and never touched – such is the value which attaches to these limited edition items. Like all things, it is tempting to pack limited edition items away for prosperity, but with whimsical scenes as good as these, surely this protectionist stance somewhat misses the point? At the very least, the bags require a regular outing around the house just so we can gaze at their jolly offerings.
The first bag of my mother’s collection is Beside the Seaside launched in the Spring Summer 2010 collection. Complete with beach huts, a deckchair, a seagull and a seaside promenade, it illustrates the archetypal British seaside resort.
Inside, the picture bags contain a little coin pouch, while the back of the bag has its own accompanying design.
My mother’s next purchase was the 2011 Autumn/ Winter picture bag, Through the Hoop, a wonderful Toulouse Lautrec inspired circus scene.
And here is it’s back and coin pouch.
Finally the 2012 Spring/Summer picture bag, Happy Camper, illustrating a typical camping scene complete with caravan, awning and summer barbeque. It appears that after only a week since its release, the bag has already sold out from the Radley website, but I’m sure overpriced resales are widely available on ebay!
So all this makes me think – I really need to make Norm handbags! Can you imagine the possibilities?! But how to go about it… If anyone knows someone who makes leather goods, please let me know! In the meantime I leave you with a picture of the bags all packed up in the protective drawstring bags ready for bed. Until next time…