Meghan Markle knows her impact. The Duchess of Sussex recently spoke to The New York Times, breaking down her process of finding little-known brands to support, whether by wearing them and or by contributing financially.
Since Markle first became a royal, her influence on fashion and lifestyle has been huge. Often called “the Meghan Effect,” much of the clothing, accessories, and items Markle sports will sell out online almost instantly. In a new interview for The New York Times’ “Fashion Chatter” column, Markle shares details behind her decision-making.
“I spend a lot of time just Googling, looking for brands,” she told the outlet. “When people are online looking for things or reading things, I’m trying to find great new designers, especially in different territories.”
As the publication points out, Markle started investing in smaller, female-run companies in 2020. The latest company on her list is Cesta Collective, which produces basket bags hand-woven by a collective of women in Rwanda.
Cesta founder Erin Ryder opened up about Markle’s impact, recalling how they saw an immediate uptick in traffic after the Duchess wore one of the bags out to dinner in 2023. “We had more sales in one day than we’ve ever had,” Ryder revealed when recalling the day after Markle rocked the bag. This led Ryder and co-founder Courtney Weinblatt Fasciano to write a handwritten thank you to Markle, eventually leading to Markle’s investment in the company.
“Times where I know there is a global spotlight, and attention will be given to each detail of what I may or may not be wearing, then I support designers that I have really great friendships with, and smaller, up-and-coming brands that haven’t gotten the attention that they should be getting,” Markle explained. She knows the impact that comes from having so many eyes on her. “That’s one of the most powerful things that I’m able to do, and that’s simply wearing, like, an earring.”
Markle is currently gearing up for a launch of her own: the recently announced lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard. With influence like hers, there are huge possibilities for what products may come from her own company, and what styles and trends may kick off because of it.