THE MEGHAN EFFECT HERALDS A NEW ERA OF CHANGE AND MODERNITY
As far as fashion influencers go, there is nothing more dazzling or mesmerizing than royalty.An adoring public has in fact been following the royals’ sartorial choices since time immemorial: when it was de rigueur for brides to wear brightly colored dresses Queen Victoria wore white to her wedding in 1840, effectively changing the bridal color of choice to what it is today. Queen Alexandra set the trend for Swan-bill corsets, high necklines, bustled trains, tartan skirts and chokers from the 1870s to ’80s. Queen
Elizabeth’s passion for horses made knee-high boots, jodhpurs and tweed blazers a perennially stylish look, not to mention that her small, top-handle Launer bags are also a fashion staple. After her separation from Prince Charles in 1996, Princess Diana wore a Christina Stambolian LBD which the British press labeled “The Revenge Dress” and started a craze for little black dresses. Kate Middleton, the commoner who became the Duchess of Cambridge by marrying Prince William, made royalty more accessible with fans following her fashion choices: a Red Preen dress she wore at a reception in Canada in 2016 prompted a 240 percent increase in internet searches in the next 24 hours and sold out in all sizes within 10 hours.
But if the “Kate Effect” generates so much influence, one can only imagine how much can be generated by Meghan Markle who became the new Duchess of Sussex after marrying Prince Harry last May 19. She is not only a commoner, but anAmerican and a divorcée, not to mention bi-racial. What can be more accessible than that?
She was also highly visible as an actress in the popular TV series Suits where she played Rachel Zane, a paralegal turned lawyer who had “intellect, beauty, humor and approachability,” qualities which the producers found in Markle. It was a difficult role to cast, according to Aaron Korsh, the show’s creator, because it required “toughness and attitude while still being likeable.”
But what really makes her a fashion influencer is her easy, effortless style that resonates with today’s modern woman. This was evident in her lifestyle blog, The Tig, which inspired many women not just because of what she wore but also because of what she stood for, like racial and gender equality and humanitarian advocacies. She was a role model that the Canadian clothing company Reitmans chose to utilize, asking her to collaborate on a clothing line in 2016. The “aspirational girl next door” capsule collection quickly sold out.
It was no wonder that when she first started dating Prince Harry, all her fashion choices by other designers would sell out as well.Among Internet searches alone, six out of the 10 most searched items of clothing were worn by Meghan, according to Lyst, a global fashion search engine. There were unprecedented spikes in search for lesser known labels like Misha Nonoo and Mackage, the brands of her white “husband shirt” and burgundy leather jacket, respectively, which she wore for her first official appearance with the prince at the Invictus Games in Toronto. Her ripped jeans saw a 200-percent increase in traffic for the website of Mother jeans, aside from selling out with a waiting list for 400 reorders. The waiting list at Everlane was even longer at 20,000 to reorder the tote that she was carrying on her shoulder.
Her coats, which the press and bloggers have been referring to as “power coats,” have also been cited as the biggest factors for her style influences. A white coat from Line The Label which she wore for the photo call announcing their engagement sold out within 12 hours and the company’s website crashed. The coat has since been renamed “Meghan” in her
honor. A Burberry coat worn for an appearance in Edinburgh caused a similar disruption.
She has been a big help to small, niche brands, many of which are ethically produced, sustainable industries. She mixes them with the more established brands in chic, unexpected combinations that blogs like Meghan’s Mirror have been chronicling, with links to buy the exact pieces or with options for similar, lesser-priced items.
The most unexpected of all turned out to be her choice of designer for her wedding gown. No one ever guessed that she would choose British designer Clare
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