Less than a week after she and Prince Harry announced their plan to step away from their senior roles in the royal family, Meghan Markle is reportedly already working with top fashion brands to secure lucrative deals.
“Meghan is very connected in the fashion industry and there are a lot of major labels who would like to partner with her on projects,” a source told The Sun. “There have already been active discussions with Givenchy. Some of these deals could be worth millions of pounds.”
Added the palace insider: “I’m sure she is going to link some of the initiatives to their foundation.”
Last June, the Sussexes trademarked their “Sussex Royal” brand for more than 100 items including clothing, stationery and magazines as well as educational and charitable endeavors, laying the groundwork for what could become a financial empire.
It’s no surprise that fashion labels would be chomping at the bit to work with 38-year-old Markle. The Duchess of Sussex is a major search driver for style brands, and whenever she steps out in an item — be it a $35 H&M knit or a $1,285 Karen Gee dress — it tends to sell out in minutes.
But after joining the royal family, the duchess was forbidden from both accepting gifts from brands and flaunting her fashion connections; in December, one of her favorite jewelry designers, Jennifer Meyer, was even asked to stop posting photos of Markle wearing her pieces on Instagram.
Still, Markle was able to use her style influence for good, launching a charitable clothing collection for Smart Works back in September that featured office-appropriate staples from Misha Ninoo, Marks & Spencer, Jigsaw and John Lewis.
As for whether the duchess can retain her status as a top fashion influencer after she bids farewell to Buckingham Palace? Royal expert Emma Forbes doesn’t see Megxit dampening Markle’s appeal.
“For any designer, the PR that you get from someone [like Markle] wearing your clothes is worth a fortune, so I’m sure people will still desperately try to dress her even when she’s out in Vancouver at the supermarket,” Forbes recently told Page Six Style.