Meghan Markle to Launch Fashion Line with Designer Pal Misha Nonoo — with a Surprise Twist!
Meghan Markle is adding clothing designer to her royal resumé!
In the September issue of British Vogue, which she guest edited, the Duchess of Sussex revealed she is partnering with her designer friend, Misha Nonoo, to create a capsule collection of women’s workwear. The line, which will be released in September, will benefit her patronage Smart Works, a charity that helps women land jobs.
“When you walk into a Smart Works space you’re met with racks of clothing and an array of bags and shoes,” Meghan writes in Vogue. “Sometimes, however, it can be a potpourri of mismatched sizes and colors, not always the right stylistic choices or range of sizes.”
“To help with this, I asked Marks & Spencer, John Lewis & Partners, Jigsaw and my friends, the designer Mischa Nonoo, if they were willing to design a capsule collection of more classic options for a workwear wardrobe,” she added. “Taking the idea further, many of the brands agreed to use the one-for-one model: for each item purchased by a customer, one is donated to the charity. Not only does this allow us to be part of each other’s story, it reminds us we are in it together.”
Nonoo and Meghan have been friends for years, and often posted photos of each other on Instagram before the Duchess of Sussex deleted her personal account soon after her engagement to Prince Harry. The designer was a guest at Meghan and Harry’s royal wedding, as well as Meghan’s New York City baby shower earlier this year.
RELATED: Meghan Markle‘s Specific Instructions for Cover of Guest-Edited Vogue Issue: ‘I Want to See Freckles’
At Smart Works, clients receive one-on-one interview preparation and an outfit to help them secure employment, according to their website. Once the client lands a job, they receive five additional pieces of clothing to help see them through to their first paycheck.
“The reason why I was drawn to Smart Works is that it reframed the idea of charity as community…..it’s a network of women supporting and empowering other women in their professional pursuits,” wrote Meghan, 37.
Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
During a January visit to her royal patronage, Meghan played a hands-on role in helping Patsy Wardally find an interview-ready outfit. Meghan helped style Wardally for the important interview as she was being fitted in a patterned pink dress with a belted waist.
She also picked out accessories, and they completed the outfit with a camel-colored coat – a piece that could easily belong in Meghan’s own closet!
Meghan also sat down with some of the women to discuss why she was drawn to their organization.
“It’s a community that I’m so drawn to about it here. It’s not just donating your clothes and seeing where they land, but really being part of each other’s success stories as women. If that’s in the tools that you give or the interview prep that’s happening, every piece of it.
