Meghan Markle Teases Her Charitable New Collection on Instagram

Erica Gonzales
Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images
Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images

From Harper's BAZAAR

  • Meghan Markle is collaborating with brands to launch a capsule collection to benefit the charity Smart Works, which supports unemployed women.

  • The Duchess of Sussex shared more details about the upcoming project on Instagram today, showing previously-unseen photos from her visits to the charity.

Meghan Markle is making big moves for her royal patronage, Smart Works, a non-profit that supports women entering the workforce by providing resources such as training and clothing for interviews. After privately visiting the charity a number of times in the past year, the Duchess of Sussex has decided to collaborate with a few brands on a collection of workwear to benefit the organization.

On Instagram today, the royal shared more info about the exciting new venture on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's official Instagram. She also posted previously-unseen photos from her visits to Smart Works, showing the duchess bonding with women being assisted by the charity.

View this post on Instagram

Spotlight on: Smart Works We are proud to be supporting a very special initiative this autumn for @SmartWorksCharity! After quiet visits to Smartworks 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 clothes they need to feel job-ready. Throughout her visits she noticed that while the donations were plentiful, they were also notably a combination of mismatched items and colours which weren’t always the right stylistic choices or sizes that didn’t necessarily “suit” the job at hand: to make a woman feel confident and inspired as she walked into her job interview. As a result, launching this autumn, The Duchess will be supporting a collective to help equip the women of Smart Works with the key workwear essentials they need as they enter into the workplace. This initiative is supported by four generous brands who share the vision to empower the women of Smart Works to look and feel 💯 as they bravely venture in to what can often be a daunting environment for those who have been out of the job market. The brands have come together to work towards this united force for good, “[reframing] the idea of charity as community,” as The Duchess writes in a piece for this month’s British Vogue. They will follow the 1:1 model where an item from the collection purchased is an item shared with a woman of Smart Works because “not only does this allow us to be part of each other’s story; it reminds us we are in it together.” For more information on how you can be part of another woman’s success story visit @SmartWorksChairty. Special thanks to: @JohnLewisandPartners, @MarksandSpencer, @MishaNonoo, @InsideJigsaw for supporting this very special organisation. And to find out more, read the September issue of @BritishVogue and stay tuned for more exciting updates this autumn. Photo©️SussexRoyal

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jul 31, 2019 at 9:03am PDT

The capsule, dropping this fall, is supported by Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, Jigsaw, and Misha Nonoo, royal correspondent Omid Scobie reported yesterday. The pieces will be sold on a 1:1 model, where one item is donated to the charity for each item purchased from the collection.

According to the Sussexes' Instagram caption, Duchess Meghan was inspired to start the initiative when she noticed that the clothing donations to Smart Works, though "plentiful," were "notably a combination of mismatched items and colors which weren’t always the right stylistic choices or sizes that didn’t necessarily 'suit' the job at hand: to make a woman feel confident and inspired as she walked into her job interview."

Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images
Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images

The Duchess of Sussex, who officially became royal patron of Smart Works in January, has greatly impacted the charity's reach. CEO Kate Stephens says the non-profit is "flourishing" under Meghan's patronage and is dressing "more women than ever before." In July, the organization assisted 27 percent more women than it did at the same month 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," Stephens added.

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