LONDON — Radley London has tapped British singer-songwriter Beka for an ad campaign that marks a pivotal moment in the brand’s shift to accessible luxury and cosmopolitan cool.

The campaign, “A New Dawn,” breaks this week with Beka, whose real name is Rebeka Prance and who is pictured skipping around London with her Romilly top-handle bag in a shoot by Rhys Frampton.

She also composed a song called “Bloom,” which she performs in the campaign’s film shorts made with videographer Danny Bonnar.

Beka’s long, swingy ponytail and high energy are part of a marketing push by the British accessories brand, which is based in London and manufactures its bags in India. It also plans to open a pop-up in Soho on Bateman Street, is papering the town with flyposters, and covering London buses with the campaign images.

The timing of the latter could not be better as London is in the thick of a major Tube strike that started on Sunday and is set to last until early Friday morning. Buses (and some overground trains) are the only transport in town.

The Radley team has also created a tabloid-style newspaper with an artfully blurry image of Beka and her Romilly bag on the cover, and an interview inside. It has added the image of Beka to the wrappers on dark chocolate bars, which it is giving out as part of the campaign.

The new website launches in the U.K. this week, a month after the U.S. one, and there is momentum on both sides of the Atlantic, according to Nick Vance, who’s served as Radley’s chief executive officer since 2023.

In an interview, Vance said Radley’s results in the U.K. and the U.S. have been “above expectations,” a result of the brand’s focus on offering a “high-quality, high-value product” and the new, more contemporary creations under Fernando Soriano Iglesias, the brand’s first design director.

As reported, Soriano Iglesias’ résumé includes accessories roles at Loewe, Calvin Klein and Carolina Herrera.

Radley launched at Nordstrom six months ago and the store has quickly become one of its biggest partners in the region. It also sells at Anthropologie, and will launch at Dillard’s in the coming weeks.

Vance said that, in the U.S., Radley has successfully been shifting away from the wholesale model to dropshipping; “invested heavily” in its core IT and e-commerce systems; and adjusted prices “very, very carefully” to offset the new tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.

“The U.S. is an important growth market, and we want to offer exceptional value in the accessible luxury space. That is so important to us. We’ve been navigating the tariffs sensibly, and still want to offer the world’s best $348 handbag,” he said, adding that “looking ahead, we’re expecting great things from the U.S. market.”

Vance said the aim is for all customers to “re-aspire” to the brand, which has undergone a sea change over the past year.

For most of its 26 years in business, Radley was known for its practical, accessibly priced handbags and wallets with a distinctive Scottie dog logo. They came in a rainbow of saturated colors and drew a loyal Middle England customer.

With the appointment of Soriano Iglesias, Radley has moved into richer, more sophisticated territory, with a broader offer, and its eyes on a younger and more diverse clientele. His first full collection began selling to wholesale customers in January, and landed on shop floors last month.

U.K. customers have also been rediscovering Radley. British retailer John Lewis, which is going through its own fashion upgrade, has flagged it as one of its top brands for fall.

According to Companies House, Radley London‘s sales in the year to April 2024 were 72 million pounds, and the company made a loss of 2.2 million pounds. Those numbers reflect the period before the arrival of Soriano Iglesias, and the brand’s turnaround.

The Beka campaign, which was shot across London, is just the beginning. The Romilly, with its soft folded leather construction, three interior compartments, and 299-pound price tag, is one of many bags that Radley is ready to push.

In October, the Chancery, a similarly roomy bag with a large flap closure, will launch, while Radley is already preparing for the Christmas campaign which is set to launch in November.