Earlier this year, Kensington Palace huffily announced that they would no longer release information about the Princess of Wales’s fashion. Within a few weeks, they had to walk that back because of media backlash. The British press was dangerously close to pointing out that Kate barely works as-is, so why not make a big deal about her fashion whenever she does make a rare public appearance? Weirdly, in recent years, Kate has worn tons of repeats and really cheap-looking, ill-fitting clothes. It looked like someone slashed her clothing allowance rather suddenly, but who knows. In any case, weird stuff has been happening around Kate and her clothes for some time. Not only that, but the “Kate Effect” has been thoroughly exposed as a myth. For the millionth time, a British label closely associated with Kate is closing their doors.
One of Kate Middleton’s favourite British fashion labels is going out of business. Eponine London has said it will be closing its doors for good following its AW25 collection. The brand, founded by Jet Shenkman in 2011, gained widespread appeal in 2016 after the Princess of Wales wore a gingham skirt suit by the designer. Since then the label has become one of the Princess’s favourites. Over the years, Kate has worn a number of collections for public engagements and royal appearances.
The label said in a statement: “It has been the most wonderful journey, full of highs that I could never have dreamed of, but the time has come for us to close our doors in pursuit of pastures new.”
Jet Shenkman started her business from the basement of her home in Kensington, West London, with the label gaining a name for itself thanks to its take on vintage styles from the 1950s and 60s, featuring bold patterns and colours. She told The Telegraph that the fall in demand for occasion wear in the wake of the pandemic and fewer people having nights out had been factors in her decision.
She said: “To dress someone like the Princess of Wales is one of the most wonderful gifts I have received. It is going to be the best story to tell my granddaughters when they grow up. I hope that she will continue to make a difference. It gave us a stage that we could never have dreamed of.”
Just a few weeks ago, McQueen announced that they were slashing 20% of their staff as well, and I associate Kate with McQueen more than Eponine. Other brands associated with Kate and “the Kate Effect” which have now shuttered or significantly downsized: Orla Kiely, Issa, Seraphine, Cefinn and LK Bennett. It’s so weird because… every label, every jewelry designer, every handbag designer worn or carried by the Duchess of Sussex genuinely experiences phenomenal growth, regardless of a bad economy. And I do think all of these shutdowns or downsizing are mostly about the sh-tty economy. But that also shows that the Kate Effect was always much more tenuous and overhyped, while the Meghan Effect is much more substantial.
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Whaaat? Another of the brands she wears shutting down? How can that be? She is such a fashionista after all…
Oops I meant such a fashion copying failure.
When she wears something attractive the Kate effect is real, but it feels like she has been trolling with ugly dresses and ill fitting suits for the last few years.
Kate isn’t responsible for how these brands run their businesses, the economy, or Trump’s tariffs that add as much as 100% to the price. As an America I stopped ordering products from Europe after UPS knocked on the door to collect a huge tariff on a handbag.
Wow Kate just keeps winning doesnt she?
All this when As Ever is announced as one of Oprah’s favourite things!
I find it hard not to laugh because it was perfect timing.
I think it’s because most women don’t want to dress like a 50’s housewife with the midi length, tons of buttons and peplums. And for goodness sakes, someone needs to tailor her trousers better, they literally hang on her.
This is what I think. the Kate effect doesnt help bc who needs that many coatdresses or whatever that blue thing is that she’s wearing? Even when I like some of her outfits (especially back in her coatdress hay day) I would never buy anything.
(weirdly I think her work clothes have improved – not great, but better – but I think her casual clothes have gotten worse. Her shoes are usually bad, she always has that frilly collar, etc.)
My late mother would have loved to see me, at least every now and then, in a ladylike look. I always found myself too young for Kate’s style. Am 62…
Her style just isn’t anything anyone wants to emulate.
I do love that red coat though – the whole look actually! Clear lines, nice cut, no flying sausage curls. She looks like a grownup, but at the same time more youthful and less stiff than usually.
I really really like that coat, too
So do I, I love the simple lines,
Because she’s been too focused on deliberately wearing Meghan favoured labels (especially for the big appearances) : Safiyaa (Wimbledon after cancer and after being ousted as a royal racist) Gabriela Heart (Shaping Us) , (Coronation), Jennifer Chamandi, Veronica Beard (that’s a new one), Mother Denim. She wore Celine (scarf) and Hermes and Salvatorre Ferragamo, & Other Stories, Self Portrait, more Burberry, Chanel, Victoria Beckham all after Meghan. Notice how there’s less of LK Bennet and Hobbs (and they actually have some really nice pieces), no Fold London, no Beulah London The only British labels are all the high end ones that other celebrities wear. Her team are too focused on doing “Meghan, by Kate” and additionally, making sure to attempt to erase Meghan’s impact and
Image (all thaw point by point copykeening) instead of allowing K to create her own identity post POW and there’s genuinely so much she can do with these British labels if they were smart.
Even K is impacted by the Meghan effect lmao but she’ and her team would much rather erase that impact and take credit it for it just like she and William attempt to do with everything else
Look, there are very few things I see on Kate that I want to wear. Sometimes, every now and then. And being nice, I will say she often looks fine. And she does. Fine fine fine. But she’s not inspiring much that I would ever want to put on myself. The economy is tough though so I’m not hanging these closures on her. It’s just also true that her wardrobe isn’t inspiring me to go out and buy similar things. At the same time, neither did the late Queen’s. So maybe she is trying to move into that space idk.
Guess it’s a really good thing that she didn’t share those fashion contacts with Meghan. Kate just has zero style so I am not surprised this keeps happening
Eponine, Seraphine, Issa, Cefinn and several others I can’t remember. I actually liked seraphine 😢
I”m a fan of Orla Kiely, and have been since well before Kate came on the scene. I hope they find a way to stay in business.
The top photo of Kate in the blue dress and jazz hands is the first time I really started to believe what people were saying; she appears medicated. Isn’t that the famous “we took the train to get here” photo?