By Lucy Caulkett-
The launch of Meghan’s fashion collection with the British charity Smart Works could impact her image both positively and negatively.
Positively because a fashion label with a good motive is always inspirational. Negative, for those who would say she is branching too far out of royal convention and trying hard to build a name for herself. Meghan’s fashion collection is a line of five women’s workwear pieces that unites four different British clothing brands. The collection, called the Smart Set, includes a Marks & Spencer crepe shift dress for $32, a$138 tote bag from John Lewis, a $245 blazer and $148 slim-fit trousers from Jigsaw, and a classic white button-down for $125 from designer (and close friend of Markle’s) Misha Nonoo.
For every piece purchased, one will be donated to Smart Works. Meghan’s launch at the John Lewis store in London on Thursday was the beginning of her public image as a royal businesswoman with a heart for women, especially those who are unemployed and seeking employment. The clothing chain she has teamed up with is owned by Belle and John Robinson, friends of the Middleton family who lent Kate and Prince William
Meghan claims to be interested in empowering women, a move no right thinking woman can frown at. Her critics could see this as a publicity stunt aimed at improving her image, especially after it recent revelations she had hired a U.S PR company to break the global internet.
However, criticising a positive and beneficial initiative will look like jumping on the ‘haters’ bandwagon, but those who see this as too far a departure from royal tradition will not be able to resist having a negative position on it. The Dutchess Of York says she wants to empower unemployed women, which explains her collaboration with Smart Works . Smart Works ofcourse offers coaching and styling sessions for unemployed women ahead of job interviews
“Since moving to the U.K., it has been deeply important to me to meet with communities and organizations on the ground doing meaningful work and to try to do whatever I can to help them amplify their impact,” Markle said in a statement posted on Instagram. Under each product description is a perfect quote from Markle: “Not a hand out, a hand held.”
Meghan’s clothing launch is contributing to a further break away from royal tradition, and her husband prince Harry, is going along with it. Buckingham Palace will not react openly to her new clothing launch openly, but