How savvy Meghan Markle is monetising herself by teaming up with small brands…then boosting sales with her outfits
Meghan Markle’s £75 million Netflix show may have been pushed back to 2025, but fashion insiders have revealed the savvy way she’s cashing in now.
The Duchess of Sussex, who’s spoken of her desire to bring the spotlight to small independent designers with her public appearances, has been investing in these same businesses behind the scenes – meaning she gets a share of the profits she brings with her royal profile.
Meghan, 43, also explained that she now knows there will be a “global spotlight” on what she is wearing.
She said that she will now “support designers” that she has “really great friendships with” as well as “smaller up-and-coming brands that haven’t got the attention they should be getting.”
The Duchess, who was recently spotted carrying a $750 (£568) purse from Cesta Collective during her visit to Colombia with Prince Harry, understands that “that’s the most powerful” thing she is able to do “and that’s simply wearing, like an earring.”
Meghan discovered Cesta Collective, which is known for its handwoven bags crafted by talented females in Rwanda, whilst online shopping.
Previously Meghan was spotted holding a bag from Scottish brand Strathberry, and the brand had increased sales almost instantly.
After carrying it during an engagement with her then fiance Harry, 39, back in 2017, the bag sold out online within 11 minutes.
Her impact on the brand was so significant they were reportedly able to expand its workforce.
After discovering about the boost in sales, it was revealed how it “changed everything” in terms of how Meghan “then looked at putting an outfit together.”
Another example of how Meghan’s influence impacted brand sales was lab-grown diamond company Kimaï was back in 2019.
The mum-of-two – who ran lifestyle brand, The Tig, before meeting Prince Harry – was pictured wearing a pair of £630 Felicity earrings which she bought herself.
Huge impact
According to the brand’s co-founder Jessica Warch and Sidney Neuhau this sparked sales of $1.2 million (£945k).
Jessica said: “We’ve launched without investment, and then two months after our launch we got Meghan Markle to wear our pieces, which enabled us to grow the revenue significantly, and from there we raised $1.2 million.”
The entrepreneurs established the company in 2019 with the aim of creating “jewellery that doesn’t cost the earth.”
They achieve this by exclusively using lab-grown diamonds and crafting each piece from recycled solid 18k gold.
Back in 2019, Meghan was named the most powerful dresser of that year.
Global search platform Lyst unveiled its Year in Fashion report, analysing over 200 million searches from 104 million shoppers.
The report, which highlights the year’s most significant trends, revealed that Meghan has had a substantial impact on consumer behaviour, with her fashion choices causing notable spikes in both searches and sales in 2019.
The then new mother outperformed celebrities like Cardi B, Zendaya, Kylie Jenner, and Billie Eilish to secure a spot in the top 10 list of “power dressers.”
Specifically, Meghan’s outfits have led to a remarkable 216 percent increase in searches for similar styles throughout the year.
In December 2020, Meghan announced that she had made an undisclosed investment in Clevr Blends, a wellness coffee brand known for its line of organic, gluten-free ‘SuperLattes’ available in powder form.
Clevr, headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, first caught Meghan’s attention in 2017 when she tried its superfood coffee at a pop-up store.
At that time, the founder was selling individual servings before developing the at-home blend that is now available.
Although Meghan has not disclosed every brand in her investment portfolio, she has indicated that each one aligns with her emerging lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard.
Some of Meghan's brands she has invested into
- Cesta Collective, a handbag company
- Strathberry, a luxury leather goods brand
- Kimaï, a lab-grown diamond jewellery company
- Clevr Blends, a wellness coffee company which has a range of organic, gluten-free ‘SuperLattes’ in powder form