Meghan Markle is a designer's dream – and brands enrich as never before

published

October 20, 2018 05:00:00

When Prince Harry and Meghan came down from a jet plane to Sydney to begin their royal tour, no one encouraged them stronger than the fashion houses responsible for the clothes, bags, shoes and jewels brought by the Duchess of Sussex.

Rothy's, the maker of flat shoes that the Duchess wore for a walk on the beach, quickly posted on Facebook a link from an article in Harper's Bazaar magazine, titled: "Meghan Markle changed sneakily in flat heels. "

The story reads as follows: "Even the Royals sometimes need a break." Meghan opted for Rothy's black flat-toe shoes. "

In his article on Facebook, the shoemaker added: "Which pair will you choose?"

On Instagram, another shoemaker, Tamara Mellon, posted a photo of the Duchess in "our Rebel 105 pump nude on the first day of her Australian Royal Tour". A later article featured a close-up of the shoe and the caption "An instant classic".

In the comments, a poster suggested that the shoe should now be called "The Meghan".

Brands publish photos of Meghan on Instagram almost immediately

The tour is only in its first week, but its reaction echoes a pattern that royal observers have already detected even before Mrs. Markle married Prince Harry in May.

"We are seeing a more commercial environment with many designers / retailers that Meghan wears," said Susan Kelley, owner of What Kate Wore and What Meghan Wore.

"There are two reasons, the main one being social media."

Although Twitter and Instagram already existed in 2011 when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were married, they were not used for commercial purposes as well.

"We see brands posting on Instagram almost immediately after Meghan carries their merchandise," Ms. Kelley said.

Some of the brands even thanked Jessica Mulroney, Ms. Markle's close friend and unofficial stylist, for establishing the commercial link with the Duchess.

This is a break with the way the royal family has handled its past associations with commercial businesses.

Royal mandates used to govern merchandising

For centuries the royal approval of everything from booksellers to soap to tea, whiskey and even underwear was handled through the royal warrant system. This is a strictly governed method, overseen by the Royal warrant Holders Association.

As the group explains on its website, "A royal warrant is the document that designates a corporation or person as a negotiator with the Royal House and authorizes its holder to use the (Royal) arm of) royal connection with their business. "

The mandate, as the group says, is granted by "the monarch", which means Queen Elizabeth II, and can be awarded by her, Prince Philip or Prince Charles. As a first step, a royal mandate is granted for five years and the receiving company must have commercial relations with the royal household. "

Historically, "most British brands are very discreet and would not think of using a member of the royal family for marketing purposes," Ms. Kelley said. "This is not the case with many American and Canadian brands that Meghan wears."

And no wonder, when the results are so immediate.

The website of Australian designer Karen Gee shattered after the Duchess of Sussex wore her cream sheath dress for one of her first appearances in the country on Tuesday.

The dress, named "Blessed" was a proper name for what Ms. Gee said to feel when she saw the Duchess in her motive. And this is now on the homepage of Mrs. Gee's website, in cream and in black, although Meghan is not mentioned.

However, Birks House, the Canadian jeweler whose Duchess has repeatedly made the same motive, has repeatedly capitalized on her association with the Duchess. This is one of the marks that congratulated the Royal couple when they announced that they were expecting their first child.

On September 25, Birks's Instagram account contained a photo of the Duchess of Sussex wearing Birks' Snowflake Snowflake Snowflake Earrings. It was wisely noted that earrings were available in two sizes and at different prices.

"The Duchess is beautiful, both inside and out! We are honored that she continually chooses to wear Birks jewelry," the company said.

Kate's dresses aroused simple "thanks"

Ms. Kelley recalls that when Kate Middleton was the first to occupy the front of the royal scene, the brands could send a modest "thank you" to the Duchess for choosing their items, but some houses did not want to confirm that she wore their products.

Often, commentators have identified Ms. Kelley's sites. those who remained a mystery were nicknamed UFOs, for "unidentified fashion items".

But, with her new items, the Duchess of Cambridge frequently wears older outfits, which thwarts the haste to buy them.

Meghan, however, has not been on the scene long enough for her recycled clothes to appear, so everything she wears triggers a new exploration.

You would think that a word from the palace could temper the frenzy. False. In fact, some royal families play well.

Last weekend, Prince Andrew's Twitter feed thanked stylist Zac Posen, who created the dress worn by Princess Eugenie at an evening after her wedding.

At the same time, his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, thanked Emanuel Ungaro for a series of tweets about sets worn during the wedding weekend.

The position of the Duchess of Sussex as the world's most influential fashionable influence adds a lucrative element to the tour, beyond the mere cooing of babies and schoolchildren. Australians can be happy at the sight of the duchess, but the world of fashion is ecstatic.

Micheline Maynard is an author and journalist.

Topics:

royal and imperial matters,

fashion