Another day, another Duchess of Sussex announcement. The amount of information/exclusives and announcements in a 48 hour period is enough to make my head spin. Thankfully, this is not yet another cringe-y essay written by Meghan. This is an announcement about something else Meghan was doing during her pregnancy and maternity leave: she designed a capsule collection of workwear to benefit her patronage, Smart Works. I haven’t checked the Daily Mail – is Piers Morgan breathing into a bag right now?
The Duchess of Sussex is on a roll with her fashionable projects this week. Days after revealing that she guest-edited the September issue of British Vogue, Meghan Markle has announced that she’s launching a capsule collection of workwear to benefit her royal patronage Smart Works, a charity that benefits disadvantaged and unemployed women who are entering or returning to the workforce.
Meghan broke the news in her Vogue UK issue, according to royal reporter Omid Scobie. She recruited an impressive set of collaborators for the project: British department stores Marks & Spencer and John Lewis, the Google tech incubator Jigsaw, and her close friend and fashion designer Misha Nonoo. The collection will launch later this year and will be sold on a “one-for-one basis,” meaning one item is donated for each item purchased. “Not only does this allow us to be part of each other’s story, it reminds us we are in it together,” Duchess Meghan explained in the magazine.
The Duchess of Sussex became the royal patron of Smart Works in January, and had a public engagement at the headquarters that month. During her visit, she helped style one woman for a job interview. Smart Works has grown quickly ever since Duchess Meghan became involved. In February, the organization helped 187 women in London, which is almost 50 percent more than it assisted in the same month last year.
Ah, I get it – so later this year, Meghan’s capsule collection will be sold at Marks & Spencer, John Lewis and Jigsaw and when you purchase one item from the collection, that item will be donated to Smart Works. Interesting. I’ll admit that I’m curious about Meghan’s designs and whether she’s doing suits, trousers, blouses, sweaters, etc. The capsule collection is being called “workwear” so… probably. It’s just that workwear can mean different things depending where you work! My guess is some cute trousers, maybe a pencil skirt, some blouses, some sweaters. Also: Kate worked for Jigsaw for a few months back in the day. Diva Meg Steals Jigsaw From Poor Keen Kate!
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
Great announcement for Meghan!! Even after the back to back hit pieces and subsequent pushback she makes an announcement about one of her patronages. Still she rises.
Meghan is the Duchess we deserve.
I am a bit curious about Omid Scobie though. I loooooooove the fact that he only has positive things to say about Meghan and does not shy away from supporting her….but is he her publicist? I’m genuinely curious how their relationship works.
@cherriepie –
so I think first off, because he’s with Harper’s and such and not a tabloid like the Mail or the Sun, he’s not under as much pressure to constantly put out stories that sound as sensationalist as possible.
I think because of that, he can take more time, check sources more, etc, and I think that has led to him liking and having respect for Meghan and Harry. I think because he isn’t white, he is able to view the criticism against Meghan in a more objective way than the others.
And I think because of that, the Sussexes have started using him when they want something out there (like the whole “moving to Africa” thing got debunked by him first, I think.)
ETA but I’ll add that he’s pretty fair to Will and Kate too. I get the vibe he likes H&M more, but he’s objective and fair with the Cambridges as well.
@Becks1 ITA with your assessment, although for some reason I thought Omid was affiliated with one of the tabloids. I know he’s with Harper’s Bazaar now, but did he used to work for the Sun or is my memory totally off?
I wonder what’s going on with his podcast. There hasn’t been a new episode of On Heir in ages. Maybe he finally realized he had to cut ties with Emily Andrews because so many people were unsubscribing from it because of her antics?
@Lorelei – you could be right, I just did a quick google and he used to work for Us Weekly, maybe that’s what you’re thinking of? I only became familiar with him in the past few years.
And yeah, I think he cut ties with EA. He kind of had to IMO if he wanted to maintain credibility.
Watch a new podcast episode come out this week to prove me wrong lol.
@Becks 1 – “ETA but I’ll add that he’s pretty fair to Will and Kate too. I get the vibe he likes H&M more, but he’s objective and fair with the Cambridges as well.”
Same. He’s objective with both couples in his reporting but his posts about W & K seem more perfunctory with announcements whereas his H & M posts tends to be more warm & usually more detailed.
I really like this. It’s a solid idea that will be of tangible benefit to Smart Works as well as raising awareness.
She’s crushing it! Great strategy and response to the haters – more work. These are tangible activities, too, as you point out, so the people can see the results – cookbook, capsule collection. Hope this pushes Kate to up her game beyond her excessive keenness.
Showing up at a charity for half an hour with a load of reporters in tow no longer passes muster!
She’s really thrown herself into the job and she has ideas and while I’m sure the bile is getting to get, she’s doing so well!
A few years ago Kate did a special collection with Emma Bridgewater to benefit EACH. I hope Sarah Vine remembers that before she starts howling about how it’s just not royal
I think it’s a great idea too, and I say this with absolutely no snark — it is truly too bad that Kate didn’t think of this years ago. I’m genuinely not bashing her, it’s just that it is an idea that could have made a mint for her patronages. (The Emma Bridgewater collab was a few mugs; I’m talking about something fashion-related like this.)
Here on CB we aren’t the biggest fans of her style, but there are tons of people who are and who would buy her stuff.
@Lorelei To be fair, usually Patrons do not come up with ideas for fundraising. Charities usually have teams for that.
I think Meghan really just likes this aspect which, since this is my job, I find very cool!
I think this is a great idea in general and something both Duchesses could do. Not everyone likes Kate’s fashion choices but not everyone like’s Meghan’s either. People might like the odd item and there are people out there who I’m sure will buy it all anyway. The Emma Bridgewater stuff really isn’t my thing but I know a lot of people who love it.
Maybe this really is a step in the right direction.
Do I think Meghan came up with this idea all by herself and spent hours upon hours designing the collection? No! Did Kate come up with the Emma Bridgewater collection all by herself and spend hours designing it? Also no. Hopefully now people will start to get off Meghans back and stop pitting the duchesses against each other.
Hahaha such passive aggressive back handedness. Why wouldn’t Meghan come up with this idea? I mean she already did the same project with Reitman, non? And didn’t she come up with the cookbook idea on her own? Maybe Kate didn’t come up with any of her ideas, but that doesn’t mean Meghan didn’t either.
I do, too. This is genius. Gets the name of her charity out there, gets regular people involved by buying stuff, gets women much needed work clothes, is an idea novel to the Royal way of working…. outstanding.
It’s a great idea, but someone’s got to point out that Meghan will not benefit financially because we all know the DM will say that she will.
OUUU those black and white heels. I dig them. I also have had major jacket envy from day one. But I have the same jacket feelings about a lot of Kate’s stuff too – maybe not the most buttony of coats, but most of them. I think at the end of the day, I’m a bit of a jacket w-ore and my allegiance lies with whoever else is also a jacket lover.
I like them, too. I’m not crazy about them with that outfit, BUT I can’t really think of anything they’d look better with. This is a testament to my own helplessness, not her choice! Ha
I love the heels too. @Cale – I think they would look really great with a pair of slim black pants as well.
What a fabulous idea!!
I did laugh at the mention of Jigsaw.
The article is referring to Google’s Jigsaw lab, not the store.
Yeah Harpers got it wrong, because Omid Scobie tagged the wrong Jigsaw. It’s the clothing store not the tech incubator.
@Mac, wait, it’s not the brand Jigsaw? I thought that too! Forgive my ignorance but what is a Google incubator? In any case, this is a fabulous idea that will no doubt result in a windfall for Smart Works.
No, it is the brand. Scobie tagged the wrong Jigsaw at first – he tagged @Jigsaw, which is the google one, but he meant @InsideJigsaw, which is the clothing company.
Oh, gotcha — thanks Becks!
Piers is probably having a heart attack! I love this idea and can’t wait to see what it looks like. Wow at Duchess Meghan putting in all this work and she’s only been in “the firm” for a little over a year.
The DM is amazingly quiet about her today. Could KP finally have said something?
The Daily Fail has gotten louder as the day has progressed. Checked out the comments and quit after reading the fifth post as it was just too disgusting. I am beginning to think that only 10% of the Daily Fail comments are real post by real real people.
It would be BP and not KP since DDoS are under BP now
Ha! One of my comments about a RF member having sex with minors was finally posted on the DM. And the DM’s worried about Vogue covers? Geesh.
I think it’s a great idea, and I can’t wait to see it. I also think some of the crazies out there will try to find fault (and I’m not talking about regular critique) as they always do. Good for her.
Ooh I love this idea and M&S is a good place to go for workwear as its good quality and can be reasonably priced.
You go girl, continue to rise above the hatred.
Yes, Sierra! We already knew she had work ethics, but I’m surprised she’s dismissing the noise and following through on her projects. Kudos to her!
“I’m surprised she’s dismissing the noise and following through on her projects.”
I don’t know if you’re black or not, but this is what black and black-biracial women have been doing for centuries. It’s always been this way. And it won’t end until white folks can look at themselves and do the excruciatingly difficult work of uprooting their implicit biases and muster the courage to speak up to other white family members about theirs. This will be hardest for people who refuse to acknowledge that they may be part of the problem (which, ironically, is typically white liberals).
@Ader – why do you assume we don’t have those conversations? Some of us do. Over and over and over again even though, for example, our dads get hostile and storm out of the room when presented with clear evidence that there is still systemic racism.
Betsy- yes, but unfortunately not all of us do. :-/ In my family, for example, racist has always been synonymous with ‘trash,’ so we typically just drop that person from our lives as soon as we find out. But maybe we should fight the social fight, keep confronting and challenging the racists’ beliefs… but they’re so past logic… I don’t know.
Amazing Duchess!!!! WERKKkkkk
She has great style.
Just keep working Meghan and flourishing. No doubt the press and haters will make a controversy about this too like everything else they do.
Given Meghan’s past fashion choices, i’m willing to bet there’ll probably be some version of a trench-coat.
I hope so! I totally get her love of trench coats.
Yes, I loved the trench coats, and even the dresses. Target had some, but the dresses were sold out in stores and online.
I hope there’s a trench coat, too! I’m technically an attorney but currently a SAHM but I would really love to buy something from this collection even though I don’t need workwear at the moment. And regardless, I want to purchase things to support MM and Smart Works.
I love the fact that she basically already did this with Reitmans and is able to continue, except this time it’s supporting one of her patronages.
Hahaha i do too. Specially for fall it would be a nice staple
Love this. Meghan continues to rise above the noise.
Meghan detractors – ‘If she’s going to live off the crown, then she needs to contribute!’
*Realizes how much she’s actually worked this year behind the scenes*
Meghan detractors – ‘Well…she’s still black.’
It’s amazing how many people are now coming out in her defense and seeing what rubbish the press/deranged haters have been.
It’s a beautiful thing watching the tide turn from the safety of the shore.
Meghan is actually making a difference and I am here for it!!!
She’s doing it for the attention!!!!
That’s the criticism when she works. People are that resistant to just being a nice person who likes doing charity work.
“She’s doing it for the attention”
Yes. This is the criticism that drives me nuts about the Duchess. Doesn’t all of the royal family do charity for the attention? Isn’t that rather the point?
And this is such a great idea. Happy to see a win for her.
I’d somehow missed that criticism among the thousands of flung poo comments, but that is idiotic. Getting attention for charities is the entire raison d’etre of the Royal existence.
@boz And she doesn’t need to do anything to get attention. She has the attention no matter what, holding an umbrella or staring into space will give her attention.
She’s a royal, not a fashion designer!!!!
haters gonna hate.
Right! It drives me crazy! And even though they aren’t worth the energy, I’m glad a larger part of the population that doesn’t follow the royals are coming out in her defense.
I’ll definitely be buying a piece from this collection, only because I know there’s someone on the other end that will benefit and that really warms my heart
Oh wait, I just saw “Marks and Spencer is expensive so this is out of touch.”
With you, Oh No! A lesser person would have folded by now. I know I would, just wouldn’t be worth the headache.
Yeah, it is nice to see people finally calling out the press.
Well isn’t this timely for your girl, as I’m going back to work after a few years at home. Thanks, Meghan!
Hooray Emily!!! Go get em girl.
This is a great idea. Just like the cookbook for the community kitchen, you know these pieces are going to sell out super quick. I actually still have a few pieces from her capsule collection with Reitmans in Canada. Good solid wardrobe basics… If she follows a similar path, it is exactly what the clients of SmartWorks would need to get started on a building a work wardrobe.
Someone above mentioned a capsule collection for Reitmans. Is she designing the clothes? Working with the retailer to curate a collection around workwear? Will the items donated to Smartworks be considered a donation by M&S or by the wholesaler? Genuinely curious about the details. I imagine when it’s actually in stores there will be more answers
I like her method of announcing projects after the fact, with something to show so to speak
Most likely they will be a partnership agreement between SmartWorks and Jigsaw and M&S. I am not familiar with UK tax laws but in my country those in kind-donation are tax deductible.
I am a corporate fundraiser for NGO and we do this kind of cause-related marketing operation all the time. It’s really smart and a win-win for everyone.
This is a fantastic idea and so in-line with her charities. She and her team are making excellent choices. Plus this ties in with her previous work. I immediately thought of her Reitman’s collection as well
Meghan, on maternity leave, is being a force for change with her charities and gets things done without having major announcements made ahead of time.
Katie “Cannot” Keen’s initiative Broken Britain meanwhile seems to be… broken.
Duchess of Success FTW!
Can meghan take over the broken Britain plan? Seems like meghan would have that solved.
I feel like a lot of Kate’s charities suddenly wish they had Meghan instead.
Lol, Kitty Cat! Hospitals couldn’t handle the coronaries that would ensue. Morgan would be the first in.
Kate would be smart to make her niche the bread and butter “typical” royal engagements. She’s not cut out for the “big initiative” type things. Clearly she’s not that interested, likely lacks the skills to contribute much herself, except possibly in a limited realm (children, gardens).
But the basic day to day stuff is still important, can help her patronages, and increase her visibility to people at large. Because of the interest in Meghan, there’s been increased interest in Kate as well. It would of course be considered most appropriate for the Future Queen Consort.
Also, in addition to cutting out the “keen”, it would be good if her team could drop the “will be learning about” rhetoric. What was the last thing? Learning about textiles when she visited the Royal Opera costume department, something like that. Sounds childish.
Kate doesn’t have to be Meghan. But she does have to start showing up more, for something.
@windyriver – that makes a lot of sense…
@Windyriver I completely agree. An enormous initiative e.g. “broken Britain” is clearly not a task that Kate is up for, but that’s okay. She doesn’t need to change the world. It’s just that she needs to do enough OTHER engagements like the ones you mentioned. But I don’t know that her ego (and William’s) could handle that tbh. Not with Meghan shining like this.
Meghan is pretty much moving in a limited realm,with small-scale initiatives,which is also good. I don’t see how children-related mental health is a “limited realm”.. which is probably a problem too,when you want to do something that is very tangible.
Her RHS garden was planned for a charity,but the back to nature initiative offers a lot of pissibilities to expand in other areas,amd that’s not a very limited realm either.
I want to see what will come out from her collaboration with the group she’s working with before judging.
The cutting ribbon/meet and greets type of “work” is something Meghan amd Harry need to add too,since the royals in their 70s can’t do that for much long.
Also,the “learning about..” line is used a lot of times in the description of engagements for everyone,including M&H. Sophie’s visits come to mind too.
Like Kate,William,Meghan and Harry ” have also learned” about equine therapy,boxing,art activities for children.. and organizations that will never have see a follow up in terms of their involvement.
I genuinely like the Cambridges, but I think they made a big mistake splitting from the Harry and Meghan (I never bought the whole divergent roles argument; Wills is not Prince of Wales yet – and it would have been perfectly reasonable to wait until then). Meghan’s work ethic would have made all of them look good – and I think she could have been a driving force in delivering some of Kate’s actually quite good ideas. Instead, as things stand Wills and Kate just look lazy and ineffectual in comparison to the Sussexes. So dumb…
I genuinely like all of them. I was one of the ones rooting for Kate & Meghan to pair up together, figuring the Firm would throw them both to the wolves over the family members. I also think they made a mistake splitting, though I think I’m putting that decision more on Will than anyone of the others?
I do wish Meghan had actually taken a genuine maternity leave though. I used to think it was no big deal for the women who went back to work after 6 weeks post delivery. Then I had my little one, and I changed my tune to “How do they do that?”. I hope she did exactly as much as she wanted to and didn’t feel pressure to get some stuff done because of the bad press coverage she always gets.
I don’t think they had a choice because Harry and Meghan likely were the ones who wanted to separate. The separation clearly benefits H&M because they are free from lazy W&K and the ineptitude of KP.
I assume the split was about fundraising. As the future king, William is more restricted in who he can take money from, whereas Harry and Meghan have much more freedom and will likely raise more money. From their perspective, splitting the foundation is a plus.
Who can’t William take money from that Harry could? I sincerely doubt either of them would touch murky, dishonest or shady funds for their charity. Nor would either take money from despots, political parties, or religious parties with an agenda. It has nothing to do with one of them being King and everything to do with integrity.
Completely agree with Mego! The split was the best thing for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. W&K would have gotten enormous credit for things they had little interest in and or contributed to.
I know, its hard to fundraise as the future king. Charles’s charitable organization fell flat on its face because he couldn’t get donations…..
…oh wait . the Prince’s Trust has been tremendously successful and has helped thousands of people. Charles busted his butt to fundraise for it and it paid off.
@Brandy Alexander – it sounds like most of the work was done long in advance – I bet you she had a lot of her stuff done before giving birth.
@Lady D – I was writing about William and Harry, not Andrew.
William needs to avoid the appearance of influence, be it foreign or domestic. Taking big donations from wealthy Americans is not appropriate for the heir, but it’s no problem for the spare. Additionally, it is much easier for Harry and Meghan to accept corporate contributions because Harry will not be head of state unless something massively tragic happens.
I suspect William and Kate will rely on mainly on fundraising events, like galas and polo tournaments, while Harry and Meghan will request and receive large donations.
Of course, none of this is true. Prince Charles’ very existence refutes all of this nonsense. The Heir gets all the privileges and has the most leeway and freedom. They are in no way “restricted.” That doesn’t make sense on a factual level but also in terms of logic.
Nope. The split was necessary Bc The Cambridges clearly have no plans. They would’ve used The Sussexes while leaking shit. Good riddance. Kate and william have been around for over a decade, they could’ve launched a bunch if they had a desire. Why would MeghAn make a difference. Also waiting for the biracial American to come and pick up the slack!? Gross.
I’ve actually seen criticism that “she has joined the royal family NOW she wants to work”?! You know it’s looney when people criticise a RF member for working. Anyway pleased shes using previous experience& her connections and working with British high street brands this way. I hope Smartworks gets a great boost&its a self sustaining project for them somehow. She didn’t come to play!
Smart works aside the idea is amazing. Essentially for every commercial outfit bought, a proportion is donated to Smart-Works and used to fund an outfit for someone really in need.
These collections are going to sell out and smart-works will be inundated with requests from other retailers and fashion houses to collab.
The possibilities for fund raising are endless for smart-works if they manage this well.
I was thinking that, too! This opens up so many possibilities. It is absolutely going to sell out immediately, so hopefully other brands will want to do similar collaborations and SmartWorks can continue to benefit for years. It’s truly a genius idea and I can’t wait to see the first collection.
It reminds me of some of the work Charles has done; not one-time type things, but sustainable ideas that generate income year after year.
Before Megan married Harry, she was a busy professional. She was on a TV series, she developed her own lifestyle blog, she collaborated with a local departments store, was a World Vision ambassador, etc. She likes to work and she’s good at it. I wish the racists would just shut the hell up and enjoy the fact that she is making good things happen.
This is really impressive! And all this work she did quietly behind the scenes is really something else. Wow, nicely done. This was my pre-coffee morning smile !
Such a great idea! I hope they have plus sizes too. It can be really hard to find great workplace staples in larger sizes at affordable prices. I would totally buy a Duchess trench!
Too true!
I’m hoping this too. I would love to have some pieces and help a good cause!
I just need to know where and how to get my hand on items here in the US when the collection drops. More than happy to support SmartWorks and Meghan at the same time.
I think Marks and Spencer will ship here.
I live in the US and have had M&S items shipped over. I don’t think returns are free though so that was a bit of a hassle.
Just checked and it looks like they have a US site that ships from the UK. I shop at other UK retailers like ASOS and they have the same set up. Returns aren’t usually too bad with ASOS though. Hopefully the sizing will be pretty straightforward.
BE SURE to do the size conversion! For ex: a US 12 is a UK 16. When I was in London shopping, it threw me a bit…in my mind I thought 14?? 16??? I worked damned hard to get to a (US) 10-12! lol. I picked out a 12, and couldn’t get an arm in a sleeve! lol. But when the clerk explained the difference, I was like “Whew!” lol
@TheOG yes I shop in sites like ASOS so I’m used to the size conversion. But size and fit can be two different things. Even with US retailers.
We need Macy’s added to the list of retailers so we can shop this side of the pond.
Yassss! I would absolutely be onboard for this when the collection drops.
In the past I’ve used forward2me.com to have items bought in Britain shipped to me in the US if the brand doesn’t ship internationally.
I love this. What a tangible way to give back and to let others help as well beyond just donating.
I saw this yesterday on twitter and gave a little screech. So excited to see the clothes.
Not a Meghan fan here, most of her antics over the past year have had me eye-rolling but this deserves a slow clap! Well done, Duchess of Sussex. Donating professional clothing to underprivileged women entering/ returning to work is the kind of royal work that this country needs. More, please
Antics? *insert eye roll*
There is negative fake news circulating about Meghan & Harry & many people are buying into it. The recent headlines that they had asked neighbors not to speak to them, for instance. . . Totally false & widely reported.
I cheered when I saw this headline. I’m genuinely excited about it.
I’ve held a high opinion of her but this puts her right over the top for me. Clearly, this is a woman who excels. She knows how to make an impact. (Is Wills still off speaking about saving the elephants?) The others look bad by comparison.
(I now suspect this activity may be why we got so many negative articles about her a few months back. They knew she was committing to projects that would make a splash . . . & What a fantastic splash she’s making. )
She has great taste, too, so we know the clothes will be desirable.
She gets a very enthusiastic clap from me. Go Meghan!
Lol. You people are so ridiculous it’s pathetic.
“Antics.” Right, we get it.
The Brits are p*ssed off that Harry couldn’t find a suitable wife among “his own.”
You know, it’s backhanded compliments like yours that make me sooooo happy that Harry skipped out and married someone so completely foreign that you’re all losing your GD minds.
As far as I’m concerned, he married up, not her. The Royal family does not deserve her.
I think Harry thinks so, too. He definitely married up.
For replies like yours, Anon, I wish we had “LIKE” buttons in here! I’d hit it so hard! You totally nailed it!
‘As far as I’m concerned, he married up, not her.’
THIS. This is what is getting so many of our tabloids in the UK in a tizzy. To think that the woman of colour has actually turned out to be the asset, the hard worker, the one with charisma and drive, when we have been so convinced of the natural superiority of our aristos and our royalty. They cannot get over it.
@Cer Harry would DEFINITELY agree with this. He said in their engagement interview that when he met her he immediately felt like he had to “up his game” in order to impress her.
“Antics”- I don’t know this word so I looked it up, and apparently it means, “duchessing while black.” But it’s a specialized, obsolete term only used by racists. Please use more appropriate diction next time, please.
@Rapunzel – perfect!
@Evil Owl I have to give you props for trying for subtlety. Look like you’re praising her but really reinforcing the troll talking point of *Meghan is NOKD*.
They really think they’re clever, it’s amazing.
Antics? Have several seats with your slow clap.
Completely royal-appropriate brilliant way to blend her passion for fashion with her passion for charity. I have been taking inspiration from her for my work wardrobe and I would definitely buy some of this
Argh my cousin is high up in Marks and Spencer’s (or Marks and Sparks…) and she’s been so smug recently telling me about a big announcement coming. How dare she keep it from me!
You should forgive her IF she lets you have 1st choice when the clothes come out. Your cousin can sure keep a secret.
She really can! I have been promised first dibs with use of her staff discount so can’t complain really….
Ha ha I love that. I’d be smug, too, if I were here! Did she get to meet her?
She didn’t but heard really good things about her.
Lol, Lara!!
How cool! And good on her for keeping it under her hat until the reveal 🙂
I wish some proceeds also went to the charity. These types of charities (helping working women) are so important and I’m glad they’re getting more word of mouth because of Meghan’s involvement. But many companies do this type of gimmick for quick PR points and profits. They sell a $5 per unit to make/distribute for $75, so their loss is only $10 if the garment given to charity is a one-for-one value (usually it’s a cheaper version but I’ll give them benefit of the doubt). Id be more interested to see how it’s officially set up as more details come out and see if any proceeds will also go to Smart Works; it might just not have been announced yet.
She said it’s sell one, donate one, meaning Smart Works will get new clothes every time these companies sell something from the collection.
She said it’s sell one, donate one, meaning Smart Works will get new clothes every time these companies sell something from the collection.
Toms, grandfather of 1-to-1, pays approx. $9 to produce each pair of shoes, while in turn, they’re sold in stores for $50 to over $100 (without a sale). The people profiting the most off of 1-to-1 are always the for-profit part of the company, but that’s how they thrive to continue their business. Which is why I am hoping some of that extra PR and interest in these brands – which will lead to more sales – will donate some (not all, I’m realistic) of the profits to SmartWorks as well… not only do they need clothing but money too: rent for the stores, staff, opening more stores to help more women across the UK. I’m still holding out hope one/all will announce a donation as well.
Do you understand that those are normal mark-ups for retail, and that these are retailers, not charities, who are partnering up with Smart Works to do a good deed, and that retailers have to make money to simply continue existing? If Tom’s didn’t make some money when they both sold a pair of shoes and donated a pair of shoes, how could they pay their retail and corporate employees, rent business and retail spaces, provide benefits, scale up their production, create new products, etc.? The mark-up exists because this is a for-profit business that performs charitable work; non-profits (charities) rely on fundraising. In either case, a consistent influx of money is required for the organization to continue to function. So if Tom’s donated the difference between the cost of manufacturing the shoe and the retail price of the shoe, Tom’s would cease to exist and no one would get any shoes, free or otherwise.
@PleaseAndThankYou Can’t believe you have to explain basic principles of business and how life works smh
The charity will be inundated with goods. Which is great!!! But without financial support they need to dip into their funds to support storage, inventory, etc. What happens if the items dont sell with their audience or are not in the right sizes. What are they going to do with the backlog? I think most charities will tell you they prefer monetary donations when it’s this huge a project (and this will be huge) to they can put it to best use. If this is widely profitable I’m sure they’d prefer the money to open pop-up locations in new areas to help women they couldn’t reach before.
This is more a commentary on corporations making money while the charity gets some benefits but some unexpected headaches as well. Just like Toms put out of business local shoe stores in areas they were trying to help. There’s always an unexpected impact. They helped correct it by opening workshops in those areas to add more jobs. There’s always innovative ways to help once you see an issue.
I kinda wish there was a Canadian retailer for this collection lol – I remember her capsule collection with Reitmans when she was on Suits and I cannot lie, I bought a few pieces, they were very Rachel Zane style-wise and I really liked them
Smart works have really lucked out in their patrons lately. It’s a good effort, and Meghan has a distinct work style. It might tempt me to buy M&S pieces again.
I checked their website and it’s very economically priced, any insight on the quality?
I always buy my work clothes from M&S, classic pieces like jackets, blouses, trousers and Skirts, reasonably priced and good quality, wash well and last… Can’t wait for Meghan’s range to be released!
small correction: Kate did not work for the Jigsaw mentioned in this article, as they are Google’s Jigsaw.
The article is actually wrong, it is the Jigsaw Kate worked for. Omid tagged the wrong Jigsaw when he first tweeted about this and I think that’s what got picked up for the article.
Kate barely worked for her Jigsaw. Some online shopping and making tea when not calling out for weeks at a time for William.
Idk how people can call that a job.
And all of this is being announced while she is on maternity leave! What will she do when she is actually back at work?
Scare racist Royal courtiers more frequently. Once she’s done with mat leave and back in the palace, maybe she’ll start sneaking up on people and shouting boo.
Just kidding, I know she wouldn’t do that, but I’d be tempted to do that to people who’ve made my life a pain.
I know it was a joke, but the thought of Meghan sneaking up behind people like Palmer and Andrews and morgan and going “BOO!” and seeing their reaction cracks me up.
@betsy – hahahahahaha!
The Together cookbook was one of the best projects a royal has ever done. Period. I expected that Meghan, being only human, would take some time to have another brilliant idea like that again and I was perfectly fine with that. If we’re gonna be fair, Together plus regular engagements would’ve been enough to secure her legacy for a decade.
Boy did I underestimate her. Barely one year in, and she’s completed wildly successful tours of Ireland, Oceania, Morocco and will do Southern Africa in the fall; released the cookbook; took on 4 patronage’s; given birth to an entire human being; and now THIS. An amazing concept for the September issue, lifting up other women using her and BV’s combined vast platform, highlighting worthy causes, authors, Commonwealth designers, and benefiting her charity in a tangible and clever way. I mean… yeah I get it, royals don’t have “real jobs” but you can’t discount the hard work and care this all requires. I can’t imagine what Meghan will have achieved after the 5 year mark but I’m sure she’ll manage to surprise us all.
I can’t help it, I feel like she is “our” duchess, and I’m so proud of her. She is actively looking for areas with a need and then doing something about it. Three cheers for the Duchess of Sussex! 🎉🎉🎉
Agree, she gets it. In some ways she’s so normal that way, so down to earth. But clearly she’s not ordinary, she’s truly exceptional in her own right.
People on Twitter are now calling her Duchess of Success and I am here for it. I’ll be calling her that from now on.
This is the work people expect from a Duchess/Princess/Duke/Prince, etc. She is making a difference, promoting change with tangible projects, instead of cutting ribbons 5 times a month and maybe showing up to a gala.
People are mad because they expected this from a certain other Duchess and can’t handle a biracial, newcomer Duchess being EVERYTHING. She’s exposing their assess since day 1 and some royals can’t handle it.
Love Duchess of Success. It’s amazing what a hardworking person can accomplish in one year.
Someone compared her and Kate’s roles to that of a first lady. Meghan is Michelle and Kate is Melania. Both married to men of a similar job or future job. And both identified with the roles in their own ways.
I would never compare Kate to Melania. I actually like Kate so I would never do her that disservice.
Cee
Meaning kate married a man of comfort for comfort. She can work, but chooses not to generally. And treats her position with a sense of apathy. Not that she’s awful to the core.
I think the bread and butter, ribbon-cutting type of engagements are important too. No one would complain if the Cambridges followed Princess Anne’s example this way. But doing neither meaningful projects or a high volume of engagements is problematic.
So true. Both ways however, demand hard work, which doesn’t seem to be on the cards for Will (and thereby extension Kate)
Duchess of Success! That’s perfect.
I really love this! Such a great way to support her patronage. 🙌🙌
This is such a great idea and perfect for her! I love her style, so I’m excited to see what the clothes look like. Thank god M&S ships to the States.
I love that Meghan is so dynamic. I hope she ignores the haters, and continues to do great things. She can help so many people. It’s such a shame that there are people who just want to hate for the sake of hating.
Our fabulous Duchess of Success cracks me up because she’s so stealthy with her big projects. She probably doesn’t have time to worry about the whiners and impotent tears of rage because she is busy getting stuff done. The poor Royal Distorters are so out of the loop, they always end up with egg on their faces. Having life experience, a career and genuine passions makes a difference in how one approaches a platform. I love that the Sussexes are such a dynamic duo.
@Windriver I agree and said in another post that I think Kate should focus on the bread and butter engagements. I don’t think all royals need to be project focused&if the streamlining happens- that will need to be focus anyway.
As she’s said to be good with kids openings of children hospitals etc, youth centres etc would be great. I loved how content she looked when she was part of that rowing group after the big William split and she seems sporty so if she was to do project stuff something like campaign around fitness for school kids would be good. Especially as so much more attention was given to women’s World Cup and netball so think you can capitalise on that to get kids involved in these sports.
Kate should be focusing on doing something– ANYTHING.
Are you referring to the Dragon Boat race where she was barely there for the training, gave an exclusive photoshoot to Hello! magazine during it, and dropped out as soon as she got back together with William because they had a vacation to go on?
@Maria oh yes the Dragon boat race. Lol ok didn’t follow coverage that much so thought there was more to her involvement but remember thinking it was a shame she had to drop it (thought it was reported at the time the palace insisted).
Want Kate to be great so yes if she isn’t focused hope she will be& get immersed in her duties/charities/ projects as that will build her confidence and experience for her future roles. A drawing or photography book could be good projects too if those are her passions.
And sigh one of popular and meant to be nice presenters in UK Eammon Holmes seemed to refer to Meghan as uppity on TV. I’m sure he will claim not to know racist connotations but interested to know if he’s used that term for others
eeeewwww I didn’t hear about Eammon Holmes, so gross!
Maria…I spilled my coffee! Thanks for my morning laugh.
@Rogue
Not only did Eammon Holmes deny his calling a Biracial BW “uppity’ was racist in the interview with Lainey and the other Royal Historian whose name escapes me but I saw him on twitter threaten to sue someone for slander for stating his comment was racist cause, in the words of Donald Trump, he is “the least racist person.”
Racist folks always get irate over being called out for being racist.
Let’s be honest. They all need to do the “bread and butter” royal routine.
It’s expected from them all. In addition they can launch personal initiatives and projects funded by their foundations.
Some people like to dismiss Kate every time,but I think she’s already doing something good with the foundation. So I don’t get the “let her cutting ribbons” comments.
The point is that Kate wants to deal with a topic (children mental health) that is not only very big in scale with eno less ramifications ,but it needs to be handled in a way that shows that a singular initiative is having impact.
With something like a cookbook,after a few weeks you can already see if it’s selling well and after a few months you can say how the money is being used.
When Kate launches a partnerships with the Anne Freud Centre,Place2Be and Young Minds to finance a program for the primary school teachers,we can’t see any tangible results after a few weeks.
Personally speaking,I think it’s a very good project,but I also think they have done a very confusing job illustrating its development.
They should interview teachers,staff who are benefiting from their advices and lessons plans,for example.
The conference attended by Kate was a great opportunity to do it,with some video interviews.
It’s fine raising awareness as Harry,W&K, have done with Heads Together, but it’s not enough.
I think their staff is already doing a better job in terms of communications,so I’m curious to see what they do with the family-oriented initiatives (I guess they involve Kate’s group) announced with the split.
But yes,they are all expected to do something else too. Not only Kate.
This beautiful lady! I couldn’t admire her more.
I think this could be a genuinely great initiative as long as they’re transparent about the financials, which I imagine they will be. I was initially pretty skeptical about her friend’s involvement (which could open Meghan up to criticism) but I think MN does capsule type collections? I think John Lewis, Jigsaw, and M&S were already partners of Smart Works, so it’s nice to see them come together on this. I do have some questions about if the same pieces purchased will be donated (or if a “like” product will be) and if Smart Works will end up with thousands of the same skirts/blouses/etc, but I will patiently await the official rollout.
My one nitpick about this project is that I wish/hope they’re using a sustainable factory since it doesn’t look like they’re partnering with a sustainable fashion company. The Vogue issue looks like it’s going to have an eye to the environment/sustainable living so it feels like a missed opportunity to not address fashion waste, which is a huge and growing problem. Part of what I love about SW is that they give clothes a second life so they don’t end up in trash heaps, though I understand that donated clothes aren’t always the most fashionable or up to date. JL and M&S are at least committed to being more environmentally sound moving forward, but I would have loved to see Meghan lean in on her love of Everlane and find a similar company in the UK.
Like I said, that’s just a nitpick and overall I think it’s an awesome idea and hope it’s successful.
Have you considered why it is that you feel the need to “nitpick” this particular woman and worry she may not live up to certain standards? Even if you are a genuine supporter, it’s worth looking at.
Well, first, I’m nitpicking the PROJECT, which likely had a number of hands on it besides Meghan’s even if it was her idea and she’s led the charge. I fully acknowledge that they likely had to compromise in some areas, and, as I mentioned, at least JL and M&S have tried to improve their environmental standards. As I said, I’m eager for more information on this project in general on how it’ll work, partly because there could be a sustainable aspect to it they just haven’t revealed yet.
While I think the vast majority of the criticism Meghan receives is uncalled for and fueled by racism and classism, I didn’t think it was particularly unfair to point out a small contradiction within this particular project. There’s a feature in the magazine about “eco fashion” and the idea of “buy less but buy better” (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7303125/Meghan-Markles-guide-life-love-universe-revealed-Vogue.html) and sustainability/the environment is a huge issue that Meghan and Harry seem passionate about. Meghan has supported a number of sustainable brands in the past (she’s even wearing an Everlane jumpsuit in the video!) and it’s just something I hope she continues with and leans into with future projects. They themselves are speaking about the standards they’d like to see on these issues, including Prince Harry recently talking about reducing plastic waste, and trying to lead on these issues/make an impact.
But again, as I said, I think it’s a fantastic idea and that it’ll make a positive impact on many lives. For the record, I’m trying to be a lot more responsible with my clothing purchases and trying to educate myself on this, which is why it was on my mind.
It’s a capsule collection, and it seems like the point is to have the same basic pieces donated over and over again which would actually make sense. Smart Works currently receives donations that run the gamut of different people’s taste preferences but there is an issue with pieces that tie everything together. I’m imagining it’s going to be like, a basic trouser pant, blazer, blouse, all in neutral colors, that would serve as foundational pieces of a working woman’s wardrobe. Easy to mix and match with the more unique items Smart Works may receive.
Thanks for explaining this! The first few articles I read about this weren’t 100% clear on whether an exact match to the items being bought from the capsule would be donated to Smart Works. I agree that it makes a ton of sense to bring more basic staples into their offerings, especially in a range of sizes.
@Lexa Np. To be clear, I’m not positive it’ll be an exact match because the wording isn’t super explicit but it does read that way to me. I’m sure we’ll get more details later.
Such a great idea. I worked with a group once that helped a similar population of women prepare for the workforce, but many of the volunteers were only familiar with high end brands and had no idea how to advise women on looking sharp on a budget (an important skill for most of us, imo).
What a fantastic project! “Duchess of Success” is such a great moniker! Love it!
As everyone else has said, what a great idea! Something actually tangible that will help women get back into the workforce! Well done, Duchess!
Ignore the haters, and do your thing! Can’t wait to see how she gets rolling this fall!
And this is how you do it!
What’s funny is the British media has been so focused on that she’s an actress and can she ever be trusted because she could be acting that they’ve ignored all the other aspects of her career that directly impact the work she has done over the last year. Meghan knew how to get a cook book made including contacting publishers and getting a photographer. When Meghan was participating in job coaching for Smart Works she was speaking from the experience of having been to hundreds of job interviewers as an actress even writing that anonymous blog giving out advice. She knows how the fashion industry works and how to make a deal like this happen. Just like she was able to work her way up the chain to get the extra food from Suits donated.
Damn she did it again, always delivering worthwhile projects. The media will be mad obviously, I wonder what their reasons will be this time. In other news does anyone know what happened to Kate’s ‘broken britian’ charity? It was announced a year ago and still nothing. They announce something, get loads of positive press, then slack the idea off. Pathetic. Seriously Harry and Meghan should do a ‘broken Britain’ charity then it will actually get done. Just like how he carried the load for “heads together’.
Yep, UK press praises Kate even though she is lazy and villifies Meghan even though she is constantly working. So sad the way she is being treated. The Washington Post has a great article up about how badly she is attacked in the foreign press. I love how much smart charity work she is doing though and I look forward to buying some of these pieces.
Lily…read the Washington Post article and was totally surprised they would come out with an article concerning the treatment of the Duchess. Goes to show, when enough people speak up, this tackiness can be exposed.
@Mac genuine question do you think Charles has been unable to accept large donations for the Princes Trust? I remember reading on this site that people thought the Princes Trust Amal clooney award was as a result of a large donation from George and Amal.
Good for her. Ignore the rags and their hateful readers
Piers Morgan probably had to be helped to bed this morning. I think the ‘Duchess of Success!!!’ has decided to kill her haters with good works.
I’m so proud of the Duchess! She is going from strength to strength. Like so many working mothers, she’s getting stuff done with her baby on her hip. Of course maternity leave for working mothers is important and she could definitely take the time off if she wants to. But she chooses to work. She chooses to use the bully pulpit she married into to make a difference in the world. There might come a time when she decides to step back and take some time off. Maybe when another Polo Baby shows up. But for now she’s making the haters choke on their words and there ain’t nothing wrong with that!
If that bag is part of the collection, I will fly to England just to get one!