Meghan Markle is launching a clothing line to benefit charity

Not only is Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, known for her chic style, but she is also known for her giving heart. Prince Harry’s wife of one year is dedicated to using her high profile to help disadvantaged women. Now, the former American actress is combining her love of fashion and philanthropy by a creating a clothing line to benefit the Smart Works charity.

Smart Works is an organization in the UK that helps women re-enter the workforce by providing interview training, wardrobes and more. Markle was named a patron of Smart Works in January 2019.

Markle is partnering with the British brand Jigsaw and her fashion designer friend Misha Nonoo to create women’s workwear, according to Tatler. The capsule collection (meaning it will be limited edition) will feature classic options that any working woman could wear.

The collection will be carried by British retailers Marks & Spencer (similar to Target or Walmart) and John Lewis (similar to Bloomingdale’s or Macy’s). The items will operate on a one-for-one system, in which for every piece purchased, one piece is donated to charity.

Markle shared the news herself in the September issue of British Vogue, which she guest-edited.

The clothing items are meant to be “not a hand-me-down, but rather a hand being held,” the Duchess wrote in British Vogue.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0lk8DWpNkq/

There will be more updates about the clothing line announced in the fall.

Editing British Vogue

Markle first announced her role as guest editor for the magazine on Instagram. The issue features articles on groundbreaking women including “Orange Is The New Black” actress Laverne Cox, supermodel and motherhood advocate Christy Turlington-Burns and climate change activist Greta Thunberg. The duchess herself interviewed former First Lady Michelle Obama for the issue.

Reads an Instagram post on the Sussexes Instagram account:

“We are proud to announce that Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Sussex is the Guest Editor for the September issue of @BritishVogue. For the past seven months, The Duchess has curated the content with British Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief Edward Enninful to create an issue that highlights the power of the collective. They have named the issue: ‘Forces for Change'”:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0ebh7tlnVl/

Advocating For Women

At her first speaking engagement as a royal, the Duchess of Sussex was already speaking up about women’s empowerment, a cause that is important to her.

“I hear a lot of people speaking about girls’ empowerment … and women’s empowerment — you will hear people saying they are helping women find their voices,” Markle said. “I fundamentally disagree with that because women don’t need to find their voices. They have a voice, and they need to be empowered to use it and people need to be urged to listen.”

She continued, “Right now with so many campaigns like #MeToo and #TimesUp there’s no better time to continue to shine a light on women feeling empowered and people really helping to support them.”

When she visited Smart Works charity after officially becoming a patron of the organization, she noticed how the support of the organization opened an opportunity to help become apart of each woman’s life in a significant way:

“It’s a part of community that I’m so drawn to here. It’s not just about donating your clothes and seeing where they land – but being a part of each other’s success stories,” she said in this video clip from Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bsde2AMlxNc/

The reported fashion line will be yet another way she’s working to support and empower women, and it just doesn’t get better than that.

There are no details about whether the fashion line will be available to purchase internationally just yet, but you can always show your support through donating to Smart Works or similar charities such as Women Empowerment International as well.