Meghan Markle Acknowledges Her Star Power As She Talks Supporting 'New Designers'

Meghan Markle is embracing her role as a fashion icon by investing in Cesta Collective, a handbag brand supporting female artisans in Rwanda.

The Duchess of Sussex's endorsement has significantly boosted sales for Cesta and other brands, such as Kimaï, a lab-grown jewelry company.

Meghan Markle's investment in Cesta comes amid challenges with her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard. The brand has faced trademark issues and is reportedly struggling to find a CEO.

Meghan recently invested in the luxury handbag brand Cesta Collective, a company that produces handbags handcrafted by women in Rwanda and finished in Italy.

During her quasi-royal tour with Prince Harry to Columbia, Meghan debuted a new $750 handbag from Cesta Collective.

In a conversation with the New York Times, the Duchess of Sussex discussed her strategy of leveraging the "global spotlight" to support designers she has personal connections with, particularly highlighting smaller, emerging brands that deserve more recognition.

She noted, "That's one of the most powerful things that I'm able to do, and that's simply wearing, like, an earring."

Reflecting on her process, the duchess explained, "I spend a lot of time just Googling, looking for brands. When people are online looking for things or reading things, I'm trying to find great new designers, especially in different territories."

Meghan initially came across Cesta Collective during an online shopping session. Cesta's founders, Erin Ryder and Courtney Weinblatt Fasciano, shared that after Meghan was seen carrying one of their elegant bags, the handbag sold out in just 11 minutes.

Following this success, Meghan chose to invest in the brand to support its growth. While she didn't disclose the exact amount of her investment, the Cesta founders reportedly confirmed it was a minority stake.

Cesta Collective generates an annual revenue of $1 million, with each of its handbags requiring four to seven days to craft.

The brand describes itself on Instagram as "a mission-based, responsibly-made handbag brand — celebrating the work of talented female artisans."

The significant impact of Meghan's star power when attached to a brand was highlighted during a recent episode of BBC's "Dragon's Den," in which the founders of the lab-grown jewelry brand Kimaï made an appearance.

Kimaï's founders, Sidney Neuhaus and Jessica Warch, both originally from Antwerp, were motivated by their frustration with the lack of transparency in the jewelry industry's supply chain. They set out to create a brand that uses 100 percent traceable lab-grown diamonds.

Established in 2018, Kimaï quickly gained recognition when the Duchess of Sussex wore their pieces during a royal engagement in London in 2019.

The brand has since become a favorite of celebrities like Emma Watson and Jessica Alba, with Diane von Fürstenberg being the first female investor to back the business.

According to the Daily Mail, the founders discussed how their profits have grown in recent years, crediting Meghan with a significant boost in sales.

Warch explained, "We've launched without investment, and then two months after our launch we got Meghan Markle to wear our pieces, which enabled us to grow the revenue significantly, and from there we raised $1.2 million."

Meghan's recent investment in Cesta Collective follows issues with her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, coming to light.

According to reports, ARO is struggling to secure a CEO, which has hindered its progress. Although the duchess announced the venture back in March, the brand has yet to launch, and little is known about the products it plans to offer.

Insiders now claim the delays stem from Meghan's ongoing struggles in finding a CEO for the brand.

"The numbers don't lie and to have almost 20 members of staff quitting on them tells its own story," an insider told Closer (per New York Post). "It's unprecedented, even for a startup."

The source also mentioned that working with Harry and Meghan has proven challenging for many, describing them as "the toughest of taskmasters," "very demanding and difficult to work for," which has reportedly created tension within the team.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that Meghan's business had hit a roadblock due to trademark issues.

According to the Daily Mail, records indicate that in July, four months after the initial trademark request, several "irregularities" were identified that needed to be "corrected."

The U.S. Patents and Trademarks Office notified the Sussexes' legal team about various problems, including the incorrect classification of items like yoga blankets, picnic baskets, and recipe books.

Additionally, the agency stated that fees amounting to $11,382 were due to various international bodies for trademark registration.