The popularity of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, hit a record low in an opinion poll at the beginning of the year, but Australian fashion designers clearly weren’t part of the survey. Ahead of her upcoming visit to Australia, local labels are putting themselves at the disposal of the actor turned princess turned entrepreneur.
Meghan, who was perceived positively by only 19 per cent of the UK public in a YouGov survey – ahead of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and below Queen Camilla – clearly still has a stylish Australian fan base.
“Meghan represents a modern woman with purpose, strength and grace – qualities we design for every day,” says Sydney-based designer Karen Gee, who dressed the duchess on her first official tour of Australia in 2018.
Photographs of Meghan wearing the minimalist white Blessed dress by Gee appeared in newspapers around the world, as her arrival in Sydney coincided with the announcement of her pregnancy with Prince Archie.
“If Meghan were to wear Karen Gee again, it would simply be a continuation of that shared understanding, that clothing can quietly support confidence without ever overwhelming the woman wearing it,” says Gee.
On that tour, Meghan also wore Melbourne-based label Scanlan Theodore, continuing the relationship by arriving at her final solo engagement as a working royal in 2020 at Buckingham Palace in a navy crêpe dress from the label.
“Her considered approach to dressing and appreciation for timeless, refined design aligns naturally with our brand,” says Melinda Robinson, co-chief executive of Scanlan Theodore. “We are always honoured to see Meghan Markle in Scanlan Theodore.”
It sounds like the Meghan effect is still active.
In March last year, Meghan capitalised on fans of her streamlined, stealth wealth dress sense by launching a page on affiliate marketing platform ShopMy, featuring a $US1415 ($2029) beige Loro Piana cashmere sweater and a $US1350 ($1936) Heidi Merrick dress. The page became inactive in September.
Meghan understands the impact of her wardrobe, and has been approached by Australian labels eager to dress her for the Her Best Life luxury retreat at InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach from April 17-19.
“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,” Meghan said in a 2024 New York Times interview.
“That’s one of the most powerful things that I’m able to do, and that’s simply wearing, like, an earring.”
Scanlan Theodore chief executive Melinda Robinson would like to see Meghan wear their Milano Cocoon dress, $900, (right) on the upcoming Australian visit.AP, supplied
Australian designer Anna Hoang is hoping that Meghan’s team selects more than an earring from the current collection of her 13-year-old label, Anna Quan. Before becoming a princess, then-Suits actor Meghan Markle wore an Anna Quan shirt in 2014.
“Major Hollywood A-list actresses tend to resonate with our community,” Hoang says. “We’ve been fortunate to dress a few over the years.”
“It’s always an honour when someone such as Meghan, who has a large selection of designers to choose from, chooses to wear Anna Quan.”
It’s not just a matter of any publicity is good publicity for Hoang, who has turned down requests from celebrities in the past.
Requests are declined by Hoang “when it doesn’t align with the brand or it doesn’t make sense for the person, or it doesn’t suit their style. It’s a two-way street”.
Less attention is being paid to the wardrobe of Prince Harry, who will deliver the keynote address at the InterEdge Psychosocial Safety Summit in Melbourne, which runs from April 15-16.
Sydney-based label Jac + Jack saw an uptick in sales in 2018 when Harry wore a folded collar shirt in a blue wash from their collection.
“We did sell out of the shirt he was wearing,” says Jac + Jack brand manager Thomas Carr. “It’s one of our signature men’s pieces that we bring back each season in new colours.”
The men’s and womenswear brand prefers their relationships with celebrities, royal or otherwise, to evolve over time.
“We don’t actively seek out specific people to wear our clothes. For us, it’s always been about organic alignment rather than targeting individuals. Of course, it’s always exciting to see the brand worn by people in the public eye, but only when it happens in a way that feels effortless and true to both sides.”
For Karen Gee, the journey to the clothes hangers of the famous is more direct.
“We would never refuse to dress any woman. At the heart of Karen Gee is the belief that every woman deserves to feel beautiful, confident, and entirely herself. Our role is not to define who that woman should be, but to support her.”
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