The Meghan Effect strikes again! Australian clothing brand reveals its profile has skyrocketed thanks to the Duchess wearing its clothes – after she touted her ‘power’ for promoting labels
The founder of an Australian clothing brand has touted Meghan Markle‘s selling power – after the Duchess previously admitted to wearing labels in the knowledge it will give them a boost.
Posse owner Daniella Mulham has revealed the Duchess’s impact on sales has been ‘monumental’ since she began wearing the brand’s clothing as she thanked the royal for her ‘ongoing support’.
Speaking to Town & Country, Mulham said: ‘We’re so grateful for the ongoing support she continues to show our brand and love seeing her wearing Posse.’
And Posse is by no means the only brand to have benefitted enormously from The Meghan Effect – as plenty of other labels around the world have noted spikes in sales after she wore their items.
A notable example was in 2017, when a bag from Scottish brand Strathberry sold out online in 11 minutes after Meghan wore it during an engagement with her then-fiancé Harry.
The Duchess herself is well aware of her impact on the success of clothing and accessories brands, and has previously revealed how it impacts her fashion choices today.
She explained to the NYT that when she knows there will be a ‘global spotlight’ on what she is wearing, she will ‘support designers that [she has] really great friendships with, and smaller, up-and-coming brands that haven’t gotten the attention that they should be getting’.
Meghan added: ‘That’s one of the most powerful things that I’m able to do, and that’s simply wearing, like, an earring.’
Meghan Markle’s support for Australian womenswear brand Posse has been ‘monumental’, the owner said (Meghan is seen wearing the £240 Posse Theo Striped Maxi Dress outside Tre Lune in 2023
Elsewhere, Meghan’s impact on Strathberry’s sales was so significant that the brand was reportedly able to expand its workforce – which puts enormous financial weight behind her endorsements.
Another brand that experienced the Meghan effect is London-based lab-grown diamond company Kimaï. In 2019, the then-royal was photographed wearing its £630 Felicity earrings, which she bought herself.
According to Kimaï co-founders Jessica Warch and Sidney Neuhau, this sparked sales of $1.2 million (£945k).
The duo explained their profits over the past few years and how Meghan played a significant part in spiking sales.
Jessica said: ‘We’ve launched without investment, and then two months after our launch we got Meghan Markle to wear our pieces, which enabled us to grow the revenue significantly, and from there we raised $1.2 million.’
The brand, which only uses stones made in a lab, as well as only using recycled gold, went on to secure a record-breaking investment from Dragon’s Den star Steven Bartlett, who injected £250,000 in exchange for a three per cent equity stake – his largest sum to date.
The mother-of-two also donned the Posse Emma Linen Pencil Skirt during a visit to San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia, in August last year
When pitching their company on the show, Jessica and Sidney noted that Meghan had worn the earrings.
They said they used cold emails to get her to sport the accessories, adding that they are ‘big believers’ in the tactic, telling the Sun: ‘It’s the same way we got all of our investors because we didn’t know anyone in the space.’
The outlet reported in January that the company is set to make a profit of £500,000 in 2024, after spending its first four years making a loss.
These brands simply appear to have benefitted from Meghan wearing their accessories, and while the former senior royal said she has around five to 10 brands in her investment portfolio, the only confirmed ones are Cesta Collective and Clevr Blends, a vegan powdered latte brand, which can be purchased in the UK for £23 for a bag containing 14 drinks.
The Duchess of Sussex – who ran lifestyle brand The Tig before meeting Prince Harry – first discovered Cesta when she was online shopping.
She told the NYT: ‘I spend a lot of time just Googling, looking for brands. When people are online looking for things or reading things, I’m trying to find great new designers, especially in different territories.’
According to the brand’s Instagram profile: ‘We are a mission-based, responsibly-made handbag brand – celebrating the work of talented female artisan.
Cesta has an annual revenue of $1million (£756,990) and its purses take about four to seven days to complete.
Meghan is pictured with Prince Harry during their trip to Colombia. She is seen sporting a handbag from Cesta Collective, a brand she has invested in
In 2019, Meghan was snapped wearing a pair of £630 earrings from then-new business Kimaï, which says her buying and wearing the accessories helped them raise over $1,000,0000 in investment, including £250,000 from Dragon’s Den star Steven Bartlett
Sidney Neuhaus (left) and Jessica Warch (right), who founded jewelry brand Kimaï, secured a $329,000 (£250,000) investment from Steven Bartlett on BBC’s Dragon’s Den after revealing the support received from Meghan
Meghan was snapped sporting an $800 white purse from the Collective to dinner with Harry in 2023.
According to Cesta’s founders Erin Ryder and Courtney Weinblatt Fasciano, after the Duchess donned the piece, they had an uptick in sales.
Meghan then decided to invest into the brand to help it grow. Although she declined to reveal how much she had forked over, the founders of Cesta revealed that it was a minority stake.
Erin and Courtney are planning to grow their business with Meghan’s involvement, with a longer term view of expanding into other categories, and working with women in more countries.
The Duchess started her investment portfolio during the pandemic, during which time the NYT says there were fewer opportunities to ‘turn a paparazzi moment to her own ends’ because of the lockdowns.
Meghan confirmed in December 2020 that she had invested an undisclosed sum in Clevr Blends, a wellness coffee company which has a range of organic, gluten-free ‘SuperLattes’ in powder form.
And around the time, the former senior royal used her connections to promote the company, which was founded in January 2019 and is run by CEO Hannah Mendoza, by sending a basket of products to her neighbour Oprah Winfrey, who shared the products online.
Clevr is based in Santa Barbara, California. Meghan came across it by apparently sampling its superfood coffee in 2017, when the founder was selling it at a pop-up store before creating the at-home blend she now sells.
The Duchess of Sussex – who ran lifestyle brand The Tig before meeting Prince Harry – first discovered Cesta Collective when she was online shopping. She is seen toting one of its bags during her recent trip to Colombia
Meghan wore the £568 ($750) purse from Cesta Collective in the color ‘Panna’ (pictured). She has invested an undisclosed amount in the company
It also happens to be based near Montecito, where Harry and Meghan live.
In a statement to Fortune confirming the investment in 2019, Meghan said: ‘This investment is in support of a passionate female entrepreneur who prioritizes building community alongside her business.
‘I’m proud to invest in Hannah’s commitment to sourcing ethical ingredients and creating a product that I personally love and has a holistic approach to wellness. I believe in her and I believe in her company.’
Mendoza confirmed Meghan’s investment, saying: ‘Entrepreneurs need funding, but they also need advisers who care deeply about what they are building. I’m grateful to have found both in the Duchess of Sussex.
‘Her passion for what we’re creating is palpable, and I couldn’t imagine a more aligned partnership. We’re excited for the road ahead.’
Elsewhere, fans speculated whether Meghan had caused a spike in sales of the Ebbet’s LA hat, after she wore it when visiting a Los Angeles based charity supporting victims of the devastating fires.
It comes after Meghan made the decision to postpone With Love, Meghan due to the devastation of the wildfires in her hometown of Los Angeles.
A statement issued by the Duchess of Sussex on Sunday, three days before the series was scheduled to debut, read: ‘I’m thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California.’
With Love, Meghan reportedly includes tributes to the California-based royal’s home state and her personal ties to it.
Last week, Meghan and Prince Harry were seen participating in volunteering efforts in the wake of the deadly fires.
On January 10, the Sussexes visited an evacuation site in Pasadena, California, where charity organisation World Central Kitchen was distributing food and supplies to victims of the Eaton Fire.
According to People magazine, Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, also donated money to the relief efforts through their charity, the Archewell Foundation.
