The Duchess of Sussex has announced a capsule clothing line in support of her patronage, Smart Works, she recently revealed.
The clothing line was announced in Meghan’s guest-edited British Vogue and details were shared on the SussexRoyal Instagram account.
“After quiet visits to Smart Works over the last year, The Duchess was moved by the impactful work being done by this non-profit organisation that helps women into the workforce, equipping them with both the skills and the clothes they need to feel job-ready,” the caption reads.
Meghan noticed that, though the charity was receiving plenty of donations, the clothes often didn’t match or weren’t appropriate for job interviews, and so she is helping to launch “a collection to help equip the women of Smart Work with the key workwear essentials they need as they enter into the workplace.”
Four clothing brands – John Lewis & Partners, Marks & Spencer, Jigsaw, and Misha Nonoo – have agreed to work on this capsule collection of more classic workwear items, according to Meghan. The line will follow a 1:1 model, which means that for every item purchased by the public, that same item will be given to Smart Works for the women who use its services.
Meghan wrote about her passion for Smart Works in this month’s British Vogue, saying that, “The reason I was drawn to [it] is that it reframes the idea of charity as community. It’s a network of women supporting and empowering other women in their professional pursuits.”
The CEO of Smart Works, Kate Stephens, said in a media release on their official website that Meghan’s patronage has helped the charity to flourish.
“We have dressed more women than ever before, and we have just had our best ever July, helping 27% more women across the UK than the same time last year.
“We want to help more women find their way to a Smart Works centre so that they may, in the words of the Duchess, be ready to take on the world, get a job and transform their lives.”
In her article in British Vogue, Meghan writes that this is less a Cinderella story for the women helped by the capsule collection and more a Wonder Woman story, with the women “ready to take on the world in her metaphorical and literal cape.”
More information on this capsule collection will be unveiled this autumn, including information on where and how to purchase the items.
