Meghan Markle Explains Why She Went Against the Public’s “Natural Inclination” for Her to Launch a Fashion Line

“It was definitely something that people were asking me to get involved with.”

The Gist

• On the June 17 episode of the “Aspire with Emma Grede” podcast, Meghan Markle shared why she didn’t automatically go into fashion, as many expected she would.
• She and Grede talked about her fashion influence and whether she’d ever enter the space.
• Ahead of the Duchess of Sussex’s As Ever restock on June 20, Meghan opened up on why she decided to go the route she did with her business venture.

On the eve of Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand As Ever’s product restock on June 20, staples from the company, like its famous jam, are no doubt on the brain of fans of the product. 

As of this moment—and this could change on Friday as Meghan could potentially bring in new products—As Ever is strictly food and drink, from her jam to honey to flower sprinkles and different flavors of tea. Long known for her fashion, though, the Duchess of Sussex isn’t ruling out a pivot into that space someday.

In fact, as Meghan said on the June 17 episode of the “Aspire with Emma Grede” podcast, going straight into fashion might have been the obvious choice for the style icon after she and husband Prince Harry left royal employ five years ago in 2020. On Tuesday’s episode, Meghan told Grede—who knows about working in fashion, as she’s a top exec for both SKIMS and Good American—that the “natural inclination” was for her to go straight into fashion, but something else tugged at her heartstrings more.

“I knew that I wanted to put something in the world for years—and we’ve been out here for five years now—really trying to decipher, ‘What do I want to share? What do I really want to authentically, organically share, and how do I translate that?’” Meghan told Grede.

The answer? Jam. “Truth be told, I had just been making a lot of jams and preserves at home, and I was sharing them as holiday gifts with friends,” the Duchess of Sussex continued. “So many friends at the same time texted, saying, ‘I don’t know what it is, but your jam makes me so happy!’ And I go, ‘Maybe that’s the thing.’”

She always loved being in the kitchen and cooking, she said, and while she initially planned to start small with her business, when Netflix came on board with her lifestyle show With Love, Meghan, the game changed.

The idea soon went “far beyond my ideas of, ‘Oh I can sell locally, like, get a farmer’s market,’ like—I thought that would be cute,” she said, laughing. “So suddenly it just changed quite a bit and the offerings will expand to meet that same demand and that interest, which I’m grateful for.”

As for a potential foray into fashion and beauty, “It was definitely something that people were asking me to get involved with,” Meghan said. “I think it could be fun, and I think there’ll be a time for that.”

“I think there’ll certainly be a time for fashion,” Meghan added, before jokingly telling Grede—again, experienced in the space as CEO of Good American and founding partner of SKIMS—that “You and I can talk about it later.”

Grede addressed Meghan’s influence on fashion, noting that when she makes public appearances, the items she wears sell out with frequency—the Meghan Markle Effect, if you will. “Have you been able to reconcile the fact that you have that type of influence?” Grede asked.

“You know, it’s funny, because that’s been now for several years, that effect,” Meghan responded. “I think my feelings surrounding it have ebbed and flowed because they say imitation is the best form of flattery. And at the same time, you start to watch how it’s being monetized at such a huge level globally.” (Likely in response to this, Meghan launched her own ShopMy account earlier this year.)

Wherever As Ever goes next—from food and drinks to fashion and beauty and even rumored entrances into the hotel and restaurants space someday—it’ll stay true to her. “Ultimately, I wanted to do what felt authentic,” Meghan said of her business ventures.