Meghan Markle has soft-launched her much-anticipated lifestyle brand, which will put her on par with Hollywood's influential elite, including Gwyneth Paltrow and Martha Stewart.
At around 1pm ET on March 14th, the American Riviera Orchard Instagram account posted a photo grid launching the brand with the biographical tagline: “By Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.”
Since Meghan left Prince Harry and the monarchy in 2020 and moved to the United States with her young family, there has been speculation that she might launch some kind of lifestyle commercial venture.
The former actress ran a successful lifestyle blog Tigwhich featured self-produced posts about fashion, food, and travel before her marriage to Harry.
According to reports, Meghan's representatives have confirmed her involvement with American Riviera Orchard. new york timesHowever, he did not elaborate further on its plans or prospects.
here, newsweek We take a look at everything we know so far about Meghan Markle's American Riviera Orchard.
Pool/Samir Hussain/WireImage
name
Duchess Meghan's new lifestyle brand is called American Riviera Orchard.
While the thought process behind the name and how it ties into the brand's offerings remains unclear, there are clear connections to Meghan and her status as a California resident. be.
Underneath the name of the brand's social media pages and website is a location called “Montecito.”
This high-end celebrity enclave in the town of Santa Barbara, north of Los Angeles, is where Meghan Markle and Prince Harry settled when they moved to the United States in 2020.
This area is famous for the beauty and scenery of the Pacific coastline. The “American Riviera” part of Meghan's brand name is likely a reference linking her new home to the European coastline known as the French and Italian Riviera.
branding
American Rivera Orchard launched with a consistent and subtle brand identity across its Instagram page, website, and 16-second teaser trailer.
The name is visually represented using stylized calligraphy, which many fans will recognize as similar to Meghan's own calligraphy. Meghan has received both praise and criticism over the years for her public appearances.
Golden embroidered text on a white linen woven background gives it an instant sense of luxury and hints at the type of products and content the brand aims to produce.
It also features an embroidered effect monogram with the initials “A” and “R” clearly visible above the brand name and “Montecito” location.
Visually, the illusion of an “M” and “H” could also be interpreted as a monogram, perhaps an intentional tribute to Meghan and Harry's lifelong partnership.
American Riviera Orchard
In addition to the branding, a 16-second short film sets the aesthetic tone for this commercial venture.
Shot in soft focus and highlighting Nancy Wilson's 1960 song “I Wish You Love,” the video features flowers arranging and a person (possibly Meghan) posing in a ball gown. Contains clips of.
Trademark and purpose
American Riviera Orchard's Instagram page was created in January 2024.
On February 2nd, a trademark application for this name was filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office by a company called Mama Knows Best, LLC. The company has previously filed two additional applications related to American Riviera Orchard.
Mama Knows Best, LLC is registered at the same Beverly Hills address as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Archewell organization. Both are organized in Delaware.
These trademarks have been registered for use of their names for many lifestyle-related products and services, both in retail stores and in e-commerce. Recipe book. Household linen. Jellies, jams, nut butters and spreads. Gift wrap; Stationary; Candle. Things like yoga mats and pet food.
Further information about the brand and its future has not yet been given.
newsweek A representative for Meghan Markle was contacted for comment via email.
James Crawford-Smith is newsweekA royal correspondent based in London. He can be found on his X (formerly Twitter). @jrcrawforsmith and read his story newsweekThe Royals Facebook page.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom, finding common ground and finding connections.
