Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, believes people want products that “bring them joy” amid times of financial hardship. The former actress launched her As Ever lifestyle brand last week amid a tough economic climate, but she feels that there’s still a demand for her jams, teas and other items, and doesn’t currently need to worry about US President Donald Trump’s import tariffs as her products are all made in America.
She told Fortune magazine: “At the moment, all of our products are currently made in the US, so we don’t anticipate tariffs affecting us directly.
“But as we look at the larger context of how this is going to affect the consumer day to day, I’m very grateful that in part of the conception of this brand, I wanted to create products that look more prestige, but are more accessible and affordable.
” I think during any time of recession, people still want to find creature comforts, items that can bring them joy.
“You’ll see the bulk of our SKUs are under $20. From our standpoint, certainly for me, even in the expansion of the brand, things should still feel accessible.”
The 43-year-old duchess has always been interested in things that look good but don’t cost too much.
She said: “At its conception, I had thought about the interest that people seem to have in my fashion, for example, what I would wear.
“I think there’s a parallel here, always the ‘high-low.’ I always loved things that present beautifully, but didn’t break the bank.”
The former ‘Suits’ star launched her first business when she was just 11 years old, making hair scrunchies at home.
She said: “I’d buy the remnants of fabric from the fabric store and elastics, and use my little home sewing machine to make scrunchies and sell them.”
This week, Meghan – who has Prince Archie, five, and three-year-old Princess Lilibet with husband Prince Harry – has launched her podcast, ‘Confessions of a Female Founder’, and she is hopeful it will help people get to know her better.
She said: “I’m talking about what I’m going through as I’m going through it, not with reflection after some time, not with that different vision you can have when you think about hindsight 20/20.
“While it created a very, very tight schedule … it just felt like the right move to do the storytelling justice…
“When people feel disarmed, and they feel as though they’re just really with you, and they get to know you in an unpolished way, that’s when impact can really happen.”
