Meghan Markle says investing in other women-owned businesses pushed her to launch her new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard.
In an interview with the New York Times published Wednesday, the Duchess of Sussex revealed she began investing in small brands during the pandemic and now has between five and 10 brands in her portfolio.
The 43-year-old told the Times that she views each company as complementary to her own lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, which she announced in March.
“Investing in them has helped me line up for this chapter where I’m investing in myself,” she told the outlet.
She jokingly referred to her small-scale investment initiatives as “dolphin tank,” a play on ABC’s hit series “Shark Tank.”
“These are friendly waters,” she said in comparison to the cut-throat nature of the reality series.
Following her 2017 engagement to Prince Harry, Markle realized the impact she could have on brands by simply wearing their pieces.
Markle wore a then-$675 midi tote from the Scottish brand Strathberry during the pair’s first royal event as an engaged couple, leading to a 5,000% increase in the small company’s search traffic.
The bag sold out just 11 minutes after Markle was seen with it.
Markle said that moment “changed everything in terms of how [she] then looked at putting an outfit together.”
“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,” she said.
“That’s one of the most powerful things that I’m able to do, and that’s simply wearing, like, an earring.”
The “Suits” alum said she spends “a lot of time just Googling” and searching for brands she may be aligned with — which is how she stumbled upon her latest investment, Cesta Collective, a woman-lead brand that specializes in handwoven bags.
Markle wore a Cesta purse to a star-studded dinner date last year and, per usual, it changed the lives of founders Erin Ryder and Courtney Weinblatt Fasciano.
“We had more sales in one day than we’ve ever had,” Ryder told the outlet, noting that she sent the Duchess a thank you card and their working relationship blossomed from there.
Although Markle has invested in everything from instant latte companies to clothing brands, she plans to sell a variety of goods under her own American Riviera Orchard label — such as tableware, home décor, cosmetics, cookbooks, jarred food products, yoga gear, pet accessories and more.
A source told Page Six last month that she also finished filming her lifestyle show, which is set to drop on Netflix in early 2025.
Although little is known about the show, including its name, an industry insider said it already looks “gorgeous.”
Markle is expected to share her favorite recipes and “take on” America’s most famous lifestyle queens — á la Martha Stewart or Ina Garten — in the highly anticipated series.
While it’s rumored her husband will also be making a few cameos, his role in the brand has yet to be revealed.
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Source: CNN
