Meghan Markle is poised to make a splash with the launch of her highly anticipated lifestyle brand later this year.
The Duchess of Sussex has been meticulously working behind the scenes on the project, which will be called American Riviera Orchard. An insider told People magazine that reports of Markle, 42, facing difficulties in securing a CEO for her brand are completely unfounded.
The new venture, which Markle announced in March alongside a dedicated website and Instagram page, is set to encompass a broad range of products that reflect her personal interests.
“This is something she’s been wanting to do for a while. She is excited to share her style and things that she loves,” the source said, highlighting that the brand will focus on elements dear to Markle, including family, cooking, entertaining, and home décor.
The scope of American Riviera Orchard is extensive, with a trademark application revealing plans to market an array of products. These include tableware, drinkware, kitchen linens, and edible treats like jellies, jams, marmalade, and spreads.
Cookbooks and various home décor items will also feature in the brand’s offerings. This new endeavour sees Markle returning to familiar territory, as she previously ran the lifestyle blog The Tig from 2014 until 2017, just before her marriage to Prince Harry.
In addition to her lifestyle brand, Markle has been expanding her investment portfolio. In a recent interview with the New York Times, she disclosed her latest investment in the handbag brand Cesta Collective, which she discovered during an online shopping session.
“I spend a lot of time just Googling, looking for brands,” she explained, noting her ongoing commitment to supporting female-led companies, a journey she began in 2020.
Earlier this year, the public got a sneak peek at what could be the first product from American Riviera Orchard — strawberry jam. Tracy Robbins and Delfina Blaquier, who have ties to the brand, shared images of the jam in small, numbered jars bearing the brand’s logo.
Celebrities like Kris Jenner, Chrissy Teigen, and Mindy Kaling later joined in, posting photos of the product. In June, Blaquier’s husband, Nacho Figueras, a close friend of Prince Harry, revealed a new raspberry jam flavour, alongside a container labeled “Dog Biscuits,” hinting at the brand’s plans to include pet supplies in its lineup.
Markle has also been making waves in the business world. In July, she attended the G9 Ventures Summer Summit in the Hamptons, a high-profile networking event hosted by power broker Amy Griffin.
The one-day summit featured an impressive roster of attendees, including Naomi Watts, Reese Witherspoon, Mariska Hargitay, and Julianne Hough, with speeches from female business leaders and representatives from well-known brands like Spanx, Bumble, Flow, and Hello Sunshine.
Further expanding her lifestyle empire, American Riviera Orchard may also align with a Netflix cooking show that Markle is reportedly curating and executive producing.
The series, directed by Michael Steed of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown fame and produced by Leah Hariton of Selena + Chef, is expected to celebrate the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining, and friendship.
