Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex arrives at Variety's Power of Women at Mother Wolf on Thursday, November 16, 2023 in Los Angeles. (Jordan Strauss/Invision/Associated Press)
About two weeks ago, when Meghan Markle announced the launch of her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, fans of Meghan's Sussex Squad were overjoyed, and Meghan's new friend Chris・Jenner also signed up to follow Duchess Meghan on Instagram.
But fashion and branding experts are paying close attention to brand name-telling, asking whether the TV actor-turned-Duchess of Sussex wants to launch the next Goop or become the next Martha Stewart. I wondered if it was true. Others say the brand's golden logo appears designed to capitalize on Meghan's royal connections, while her company's proposed product line (jams, tableware and linens) may be a tourist attraction. Customers noted that it looked similar to something you could find in a gift shop at a British royal palace.
But a new report suggests another “inspiration” for the American Riviera Orchard. According to the newsletter Pack, it's Flamingo His Estate, a “decadent lifestyle products company” based in a luxurious Spanish-style mansion in the hills of Los Angeles.
But “'inspiration' is probably a generous word,” Pac writer and influencer industry expert Rachel Strugatz reported last week. The reason for this, Strugatz said, is that Meghan “seems like she's just trying to rebuild Flamingo Estate herself after the partnership broke down.”
“It was a business she was looking to be in,” a source told Puck about Meghan. Strugatz also reported that Meghan was in talks to become an “active partner” of Flamingo Estates, which meant she likely had knowledge of “relevant corporate information.” means.
Meghan moved into her luxurious mansion in Montecito with Harry in 2020 after the couple fled royal life. According to Strugatz, she was introduced to Flamingo Estates by her famous new neighbor (who was not Oprah Winfrey).
Flamingo Estate is run by fashion and retail industry expert Richard Christiansen and his partner Aaron Harvey. Their pink 1940s home was once a porn studio, but the pair have turned it into an “Instagram playground” and purveyor of California fun, The New York Times reported. They founded the company during the coronavirus pandemic and started out as a business selling beautifully packaged food boxes filled with produce from local farmers to wealthy friends, the Times said. The paper also reported it.
Millions of dollars were raised and the business expanded. But it remains centered around a hilltop mansion surrounded by orchards and gardens, not unlike Meghan and Harry's mansion in Montecito. Flamingo Estate's website describes the property as a “hedonistic place full of sun worship, folk mythology, and psychedelic treatments, grown only by farmers we know and trust.” There is.
Flamingo Estate home and beauty products have become “an everyday status symbol for the California crowd,” Strugatz reported. According to the New York Times, Winfrey named Flamingo Estate candles, which smell like tomato and rosemary, as one of her favorites. The brand once sold 9-pound bags of fertilizer for $75 and 6.5-ounce jars of dried strawberries for $80. Other famous fans include Stewart, Jenner, and Chrissy Teigen, but Flamingo Estate also sells luxury-priced celebrity-branded products like $250 honey. Its products bear the names of stars like Julianne Moore, LeBron James, and Tiffany Haddish.
According to Strugatz, Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry have also become big fans of Flamingo Estate, displaying the company's products in their Mediterranean-style home. In fact, several books from the $360 Flamingo Estate special collection, including life-improving books by Alice Waters, Michael Pollan and Jane Goodall, will help Harry promote his New Zealand eco-tourism project from his study. It appears in the background of the 2022 clip.
According to a report in Strugatz, Meghan met directly with the Flamingo Estate team multiple times in 2022 and expressed her desire to join as an “active partner” in the business. Strugatz's report said that by the time the deal fell through, Meghan would have had access to company information “that would be known to any potential investor.” That means she could have gained “in-depth knowledge” of the business, Strugatz said.
Christiansen declined to comment to Pack, and a spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex did not respond to a request for a statement.
Now, Duchess Meghan has launched American Riviera Orchard. The company's Instagram page shared a short video set to Nancy Wilson's “I Love You.” According to the Telegraph, the photos show the duchess arranging flowers, baking bread in the kitchen and posing in ball gowns on the porch of what is believed to be her Montecito home. It is said that he was
American Riviera Orchard's trademark application could include candles, nut butters, dried fruit, cookbooks, makeup brushes, yoga mats and many other wellness-related items, Puck and others reported. Last week, one observer told Strugatz that Meghan's current corporate situation was similar to “what would happen if you went to dinner at the Flamingo Estate and weren't invited.” In addition, recent trademark filings show that Meghan also wants to sell salad dressings, personal diaries, cocktail napkins, letter openers and stationery, gardening tools such as hand trowels, decorative string lights, and pet supplies such as pet leashes and collars. It has also been suggested that there is a possibility that report.
Strugatz said no matter how much money Meghan borrowed from Flamingo Estate, no matter how much money she borrowed from the Flamingo Estate, no matter how world-famous she is and how much she has a loyal fan base, she would never be able to launch a successful lifestyle brand. said that it remains difficult.
Meghan appears to have had some success with The Tig, a lifestyle website she launched while appearing on Suits, but shut it down after she started dating Prince Harry. Meanwhile, the celebrity lifestyle industry is already a crowded field, with Gwyneth Paltrow's “Goop” being the most well-known, according to Strugatz. Industry experts say following in the footsteps of Winfrey and Stewart and building a “multi-category product empire” – if that's what Meghan wants – is on a whole other level. says.
When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry left Britain in 2020, settled in California and signed multimillion deals with Spotify and Netflix, they signaled their intention to become media moguls and global thought leaders. Along the way, they have gone through several attempts to rebrand themselves. But when it comes to Hollywood, some industry insiders believe that Hollywood has “tired out of its welcome,” and that a long list of agents, producers, and other industry veterans have “coupled with a lack of experience, an iron grip on control.” “He is exhausted by desire,” industry site The Wrap reported earlier this month.
So far, Duchess Meghan and Harry's “business endeavors have been uninnovative, and their abilities as content creators have been unexpectedly shallow, even given their low expectations.” said Mr. Strugatz flatly. Regarding Meghan's ambitions to become a lifestyle entrepreneur, Strugatz said, “There's a job that's perfect for her.” But “for better or worse, everyone will be watching.”
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