We finally have details about when Meghan Markle's lifestyle brand will officially launch.
The Duchess of Sussex, 42, announced her new lifestyle business, American Riviera Orchard, in March, but there was no information about when its products would be available for sale to the public.
But now, new reports are saying that Markle's lifestyle line will officially launch later this year. While an exact date has yet to be revealed, a source told People magazine that the former “Suits” star has been “busy working behind the scenes in preparation.”
Meghan Markle will launch a new brand, American Riviera Orchard, in March 2024. ZUMAPRESS.com
As for rumors that the launch is being delayed because Markle has struggled to find a CEO for American Riviera Orchard amid reports of high staff turnover (the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have lost at least six staff members since leaving the UK for the US, including the recent departure of Markle and her husband Prince Harry's chief of staff, Josh Ketler, just three months into the role), sources have insisted that such claims are untrue.
American Riviera Orchard is named after Meghan and Harry's adopted hometown of Montecito on the Santa Barbara coast, sometimes referred to as the “American Riviera.” The store will sell products such as dinnerware, drinking ware, kitchen linens, jellies, jams, marmalades, spreads and cookbooks, according to a trademark application filed by Markle's lawyers.
The Duchess of Sussex launched her American Riviera Orchard brand in March with an Instagram page and website. In this screenshot from a video she posted, Meghan can be seen cooking in her Santa Barbara kitchen. The official logo for Meghan Markle's American Riviera Orchard brand. American Riviera Orchard
The Duchess has previously been active in the lifestyle sector, launching a lifestyle blog called “The Tig” (named after her favourite wine) in 2014. She shut the site down after her engagement to Prince Harry in 2017.
Since stepping down as a senior royal working adult in January 2020, Markle has dabbled in several business ventures and is interested in brands that she personally loves and that align with her values.
Meghan sent samples of her American Riviera Orchard jam to some influencer friends in April 2024. Tracey Robbins/Instagram A friend of Meghan's posted a photo of Markle's jam spread on bread to her Instagram Story. Delfina Braquier/Instagram
“I spend a lot of time Googling brands,” Meghan told The New York Times in an interview following her quasi-royal visit to Colombia.
“When people are looking or reading things online, I try to find great new designers, especially from different regions,” she explained.
The California native said she became convinced that supporting lifestyle brands could have a positive impact after a bag made by Scottish company Strathberry, which she wore during an official outing with Prince Harry in 2017, sold out online in 11 minutes.
Polo player Nacho posted a picture of American Riviera Orchard dog biscuits on his Instagram story. Instagram/nachofigueras
Strathberry's increased sales have reportedly helped the brand expand its workforce.
That moment “changed everything I ever thought about putting together an outfit,” Markle said.
“At a time when the world is watching and paying attention to every detail of what I'm wearing and what I'm not wearing, I'm supporting designers that I'm really close friends with and smaller, high-profile brands that don't get the attention they deserve,” she added. “That's one of the most powerful things I can do, and that's simply by wearing earrings.”
Meghan Markle smiles at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota on August 15, 2024. Prince Harry and Meghan arrived in the country at the invitation of Colombia's vice president. AFP via Getty Images
The Duchess recently invested in a brand called Chesta Collective, which sells bags hand-knitted by women in Rwanda and finished in Italy.
“Investing in them has really prepared me for this stage of investing in myself,” she said of her minority stake in the company.
She described her venture capital career as a “dolphin tank” rather than a “shark tank.”
“These are gentle waters,” she said.
