This Designer Debuted His New Collection on Meghan Markle Instead of at Fashion Week

If you need a sneak celebrity endorsement for one of your unreleased designs, you can't go wrong with Meghan Markle—and that's exactly what designer Jason Wu did on Thursday (September 6). The duchess of Sussex wore a gorgeous cobalt blue sheath dress designed by Wu with matching heels and Prince Harry on her arm to the 100 Days to Peace charity gala on Thursday night. But this wasn't just any old Jason Wu dress: It was actually a design from his new spring 2019 collection, which he went on to debut at New York Fashion Week on Friday.

The designer revealed his ingenious sneak preview on Instagram Thursday night, keeping things simple with a photo of the duke and duchess of Sussex at the event. He pretty much let his design and PR savvy do all of the talking, captioning the post, "#meghanmarkle in #jasonwu #jasonwucollection #spring2019."

Wu's excellent marketing move was not lost on scholars of the "Meghan Markle effect." Reporter Elizabeth Holmes posted an analysis of the post on her Instagram Story. "This is so choreographed!! I can't even!!" Holmes wrote in the caption, adding, "Once an influencer, always an influencer," and "Kudos to Jason for this get, this is a [very] big get."

"She's wearing Jason's latest collection Thursday night BEFORE it hits the runway on Friday at NYFW," Holmes clarified.

The mania for cobalt blue sheath dresses isn't the only trend we can thank Meghan Markle for this season. Over the past few months, she has singlehandedly sparked sales in off-the-shoulder blazers, bateau necklines, wrap coats, and even rare Welsh gold. We can't wait to have her dictate the rest of our entire fall (and winter and spring) wardrobe.

Related:

5 Coat Styles to Try This Fall, According to Meghan Markle

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