Stealth secret behind Meghan’s new look
PFW marked a sombre return to classic French girl style, says Jane Mcfarland
CASHMERE COAT. Pointed pumps. Black trousers. A brief run-through of Meghan Markle’s current California wardrobe initially reveals no surprises, no shocks. It is very much business as usual for the duchess.
Business is the word. Markle is, apparently, poised to relaunch her lifestyle blog, The Tig, which she shuttered in 2017 shortly before getting engaged to Prince Harry. According to The Mirror, Markle has filed with the US Trademark and Patent Office to launch a ‘revamped’ version of the site, covering – deep breath – ‘food, cooking, recipes, travel, fashion, relationships, style, interior design, lifestyle, the arts, culture, design, conscious living, health and wellness’.
A soupçon of Tig posts for you: a recipe for a coconut chai smoothie, an Aspen packing guide, a ‘Tig Tunes’ playlist by Michael Bublé. Evolving from a ‘passion project’ into a successful business, The Tig – named after her favourite wine, Tignanello – occupied a Goop-adjacent space. Gwyneth Paltrow’s jade-eggs-andjuices empire is now worth $250 million. Today, armed with a global platform, the Tig’s financial clout could potentially meet or even exceed that.
Still, LA is a city famed for its laid-back approach to fashion; it is the epicentre of the athleisure industry. For all the ritz and glitz of the red carpet, it is not unusual for Hollywood deals to get done in gym gear.
But if The Tig 2.0 is the next move in the Montecito-era playbook, Meghan won’t just be helming the brand. She is the brand.
So, even in the capital of casual, she masterfully nails a look that is polished. Not stuffy, still slick. And, sure, the ingredients of it might not read that differently to many of the tried-and-tested looks she’s worn before. But look closer and there is a subtle evolution afoot.
The classics she gravitates to now have the slightest touch of flair. Consider her outfit for a date night at LA hotspot San Vicente Bungalows, an actually private private members’ club, where you are handed a branded sticker to cover your phone’s camera to protect your fellow diners from prying Instagram stories. Her camel coat? By Carolina Herrera; it had a glamorous caped detail. The black trousers? Skinny, cropped, leather (from Veronica Beard). The looks are the outfit equivalent of holding a tiny Christening, then announcing Lilibet is now a princess – there is a slight swish of drama.
Another change post-palace? The look might be stealth wealth, but even to those with a remedial knowledge of fashion, these are the kind of mega-brands that exemplify luxury: Chanel, Valentino, Dior, Cartier. They are instantly recognisable pieces, too, like Chanel’s bag with its tell-tale interlocking Cs, or the Valentino Garavani pointed flats with the giveaway stud. Those were worn for a visit to Harvest House (a charity for expectant mothers who have faced hardship) with an all-black ’fit – including a Max Mara cashmere coat – so that the look reads expensive, but not vulgar. High street and British designers are, on the whole, as far in the background as Frogmore Cottage.
Do try not to read too much into the name of the emerald necklace she wore in a behind-the-scenes video for Clvr Blends, the instant latte company she’s an investor in: ‘Baby Queen’. This is Meghan ready for mogul mode. And she is already dressing the part.
do you own a black blazer and trench coat? Are you considering a pair of this season’s ubiquitous ballet pumps? Have you ever spontaneously requested messy bangs at your hairdresser’s, in the hope of emulating Jane Birkin’s tousled hair? Welcome to the mythical sartorial standard that is French girl style.
Revered the world over, endlessly googled and desperately emulated, the fashion world’s depiction of French style dictated this season’s overarching trends: subdued elegance, a touch of formality, plenty of modesty. For autumn/winter, the clothes – trouser suits, strict long coats, classic leather pieces – were elegant. Mostly black and white. Functional. Undeniably French in their effortless, je ne sais quoi levels of chic (and conservatism). Shows were simple, sombre even, as designers dialled down the drama in favour of notricks runways.
It started at Dior, with an almost entirely monochrome collection. White shirts worn with crinkled midiskirts, socks and a pair of open-toe platform sandals – exactly the type of baguette-at-a-brocante look documented by @parisiensinparis, a cult Instagram account dedicated to the ’fits spotted on the streets of the capital.
At Saint Laurent, in a black box under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, Anthony Vacarello recreated the ballroom of the Intercontinental hotel where Mr Saint Laurent used to hold his couture shows, complete with gold chandeliers and a raised runway. The jacket (in velvet, pinstripe and Prince of Wales check) was the centrepiece, worn with narrow pencil skirts, stiletto heels and sunglasses. Very Carine Roitfeld, former French Vogue editor and national style treasure.
Even Balmain, no stranger to a brash social media moment (last season’s show took place in a stadium, with an appearance by Cher and 7,000 public guests) eschewed his usual Kardashian-heavy FROW for stripped-back chic. ‘I’ll admit it: I doubt
that anyone understands better than I the attention-grabbing power of fashionfestival fireworks and social-media teases. But for today’s intimate, smaller presentation, we’re aiming to steer clear of any fashion-week hyperbole and, instead, we’re shining the spotlight directly upon the enduring power and singular sustainability of timeless designs created by Paris’s finest artisans,’ said creative director Olivier Rousteing.
At Alexander Mcqueen’s triumphant show, Sarah Burton opened with a conveyor belt of tailoring that would cut a dash among the anticipated frou at this month’s Oscars ceremony; the collection, named ‘Anatomy’, because the clothes have been less decorative, but also because the house is built on tailoring. ‘It’s almost going back to the beginnings of Mcqueen, to where he started, Savile Row,’ she said.
Like Givenchy, Valentino, Balenciaga and so many others this season, the Chanel show opened on black and white looks, with patent 1960s skirt suits, tailored shorts and ladylike slingbacks adorned with a classic white camellia.
At Louis Vuitton, the question ‘What is French style?’ was the very concept behind Nicolas Ghesquière’s autumn/winter collection. According to the show notes, it’s ‘sophistication with a dilettante’s air. French allure is a trompe l’oeil. The French touch never fails to captivate.’ In wardrobing terms, perforated and reprinted leathers were reworked to look like classic fabrics, while cashmeres, flannels, tweed and grain du poudre wool were fashioned in draped tailoring and belted dresses with sweetheart necklines. The runway, fashioned to look like a Parisian cobblestone street, was accompanied by a soundtrack of sirens, honking cars, rainfall and barking dogs. In a final French flourish, a handbag was reimagined to look like a Parisian street sign, with the country’s iconic Tricolour reworked on ankle boots. A welcome bit of novelty, very Emily In Paris. Mais, oui!