Flair Magazine The wardrobe of the Royal Family of England has been coveted, critiqued, and copied over the years. From Princess Diana’s impeccable street style to Queen Elizabeth’s brightly colored ensembles—newest member of the royal family will similarly cement herself as a fashion icon. The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle will be infusing her signature style into a workwear capsule collection which will benefit charity. The Hollywood actress best known for her role on the television show Suits married Prince Harry last year crowing her the Duchess and elevating her to international superstardom.
The modest style icon is taking her advocacy to the next level partnering with four brands— Marks & Spencer, Jigsaw, John Lewis & Partners and Misha Nonoo on a collection of formal work attire for women. The capsule collection will be launched later in the year and sold on a one-for-one basis. The one-for-one concept has come to be standard practice in philanthropic giving and Markle is following suit. This means that for each item of the capsule collection purchased an item will be donated to charity giving women a chance to look and feel their best when re-entering the workforce. Interviewing for a new job is hard enough, but going through the hiring process without the proper clothing is often an unfair barrier to land a job. The goal of the project is to make the transition back into the workforce as seamless as possible, while giving less fortunate women a “Markle Sparkle” of their very own.
The charity, Smart Works, is one of Megan Markle’s four royal patronages and a non-profit that she is heavily involved with. The UK based charity empowers women who are currently unemployed with job training and clothes to help them re-enter the workforce with dignity. In her work with the organization, Markle made the astute observation that while donated clothes are great, they don’t always translate to a business setting and can’t always be put to immediate use. The clothing donated was often mismatched, outdated, or not appropriate for the specific type of interview or job. In the upcoming issue of British Vogue, Markle talks about her newest
project and says, “Not only does this allow us to be part of each other’s story, it reminds us we are in it together.”
Amy N. Pugsley
