The Meghan Markle fairy tale involves a humble background, a handsome prince and a wardrobe so relatable it could add £1 billion to the British fashion economy. Claudia Croft reports on the woman who’s dressed her way into the world’s hearts
It was a bright December morning in Edinburgh and Leeanne Hundleby was enjoying a day off from Strathberry, the small Scottish bag brand she runs with her husband, Guy. Then the phone rang. “You’d better come in,” said Guy, calling from the office. “We think Meghan’s wearing one of our bags.” The style in question was their £495 midi-tote tricolour in green, and Meghan was, of course, the newly engaged royal-to-be out on her first public engagement with Prince Harry.
What followed was a fashion frenzy. Eleven minutes after Markle stepped out with the bag, it had sold out. “It was the craziest day we’ve ever had,” says Hundleby. “People bought all the colourways and then moved on to the smaller size. By Christmas we had virtually nothing to offer. Everything was sold out.”
World, meet Meghan Markle: the oxytocin of fashion. On the day her engagement to Prince Harry was publicly announced, Meghan stood in the sunken garden at Kensington Palace, petite, despite her nude Aquazzura heels, the wide belt on her white coat accentuating her tiny waist as she flashed her dazzling engagement ring. Not only did she seem intent on rewriting the princess dress code (what, no tights?), but the way she presented herself chimed with modern womanhood.
“She’s a woman of the times,” says the designer Roland Mouret. Not just an actress, he says, “she’s a business woman, and she’s very straightforward.” Antonio Berardi recalls the day she visited his studio “She was incredibly respectful, kind and human. Afterwards she sent me a handwritten note thanking me for making her a cup of tea.”
Denne historien er fra July 2018-utgaven av VOGUE India.
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Denne historien er fra July 2018-utgaven av VOGUE India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Breathe In, Breathe Out
A powerful tool to help you master your nervous system or another biohacking buzzword? SIMONE DHONDY explores the inhalations and exhalations of breathwork
Red Pill, Blue Pill
India's nutraceutical industry is booming thanks to advanced technology, distrust of the medical system and rising vanity. With multivitamins becoming purer and more effective, NIDHI GUPTA finds out if supplements have become the new serum
Sign of the times
No longer do you need to have an answer to, \"What is the significance of this?\" when people point to your new tattoo. ARMAN KHAN discovers that everything is on the table when you get inked temporarily
Return to form
Watching the world's most elite athletes deliver the best performances of their careers rekindled SONAKSHI SHARMA's own love for sports
Dimple, All Day
YOU MAY HAVE WATCHED HER ON THE BIG SCREEN FOR OVER FIVE DECADES, BUT DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF ASSUMING THAT YOU KNOW DIMPLE KAPADIA.
MUSIC, TAKE CONTROL
As someone who had always sought safety in numbers, ALIZA FATMA often wondered what her own company would feel like. The answer arrived unexpectedly when she attended her first-ever music festival, one of the largest in the world, all alone
Let it grow
When we think of hardworking farmers toiling in India's scorching heat, we often think of men, the sweat on their brow, the sinews in their arms. JYOTI KUMARI speaks to four women who are championing the invisible female labour that keeps these fields running
YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE
When armless archer Sheetal Devi set her sights on the Paralympic Games this year, she knew she had a tough journey ahead of her. Luckily, her mother was with her every step of the way.
Beauty and the feast
The appeal of Indian weddings has always been in a sprawling spread. For additional bragging rights, Aditi Dugar recommends going beyond designer tablecloths and monogrammed napkins.
Sweet serendipity
From a scavenger hunt-inspired proposal to a Moroccan-themed baraat, Malvika Raj and Armaan Rai's love story prioritised playfulness throughout their blended celebrations.
