Duchess of Sussex: Meghan reveals her fashion choices are one of the ‘most powerful’ things she can do

The Duchess of Sussex uses her place in the global spotlight to help sell clothes, she revealed last night.

Meghan said her outfit choices at public events are carefully selected to highlight certain brands – particularly those she has strong connections with or that are smaller, up-and-coming designers deserving of more attention.

In an interview with The New York Times, the 43-year-old said: ‘Times where I know there is a global spotlight, and attention will be given to each detail of what I may or may not be wearing, then I support designers that I have really great friendships with, and smaller, up-and-coming brands that haven’t gotten the attention that they should be getting.”

“That’s one of the most powerful things that I’m able to do, and that’s simply wearing, like, an earring.”

Meghan said that she continues to invest in female-led brands, including Cesta Collective, a company producing handwoven basket bags made by women in Rwanda.

After being photographed with one of their bags at a dinner with Gwyneth Paltrow, Cesta Collective saw its highest-ever sales in a single day.

The duchess’s interest in emerging brands also extends to online shopping, where she says she spends time discovering new designers.

“I spend a lot of time just Googling, looking for brands,” she said.

“When people are online looking for things or reading things, I’m trying to find great new designers, especially in different territories.”

She said she began to understand the impact she could have on brands when she boosted sales for Strathberry, a Scottish company, after carrying one of their handbags during a public appearance in 2017.

The handbag sold out online within 11 minutes.

Dubbed the “Meghan effect”, her influence on fashion choices became a focal point during the pandemic, with her initial investment in Clevr Blends, a wellness latte brand.