According to sources, Meghan Markle has hints that she plans to expand her As Ever brand and follow in Victoria Beckham’s footsteps and create a beauty empire.
Her Netflix lifestyle show, With Love, Meghan, may have failed to impress, but it appears this setback has done little to derail the Duchess of Sussex’s plans to expand her brand. With her latest venture – believed to be her own make-up and beauty range – Meghan is taking inspiration from pop star-turned-fashion and beauty mogul Victoria Beckham.
Meghan, 44, has been trying to make a name for herself in the lifestyle industry ever since stepping down as a working royal and resuming her position in 2020. Dermot McNamara, a PR expert, tells OK! that Meghan has always been strategic about brand building. It would seem natural to launch a beauty line after the US has embraced her as a lifestyle tastemaker. In many ways, she emulates the strategies of famous people like Victoria Beckham and the Kardashians, who have created global empires out of their personal lives.
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Last week, rumours began circulating that Meghan is on the cusp of launching what’s been dubbed a “mega-brand” after she was pictured with the business powerhouse behind Kim Kardashian ’s multi-million dollar SKIMS range.
Emma Grede, a British-born businesswoman who has appeared on TV’s Dragons ‘ Den, shared photos of the Duchess at a famous, all-female dinner summit in Los Angeles, where guests slammed Meghan’s own As Ever Sauvignon Blanc.
In recent weeks, Meghan has been dropping hints that she’s preparing to dip her toe into the world of beauty, posting clips of herself applying lipstick – but with the brand name concealed. Dermot says it’s a savvy move to drip-feed beauty content to the public.
She’s repositioning herself as relatable, hands-on, and creative, he says, reaffirming her in 2025 by doing her own make-up and posting it online. Meghan is taking control of both personality and product, according to the fandom.
She clearly positions herself as a self-made entrepreneur rather than a royal adjunct, from the blurred product shots in her reels to the references to her “signature glow.” It’s sophisticated, contemporary, and in tune with American consumers.
The Duchess’s TV shows have heavily tapped into her royal connections, most notably Harry’s 41-year-old husband, but sources claim the mother-of-two is eager to launch her own business.
She’d love for Harry to be involved in whatever she’s doing, but that’s not how it’s played out, according to a source who spoke to OK! She will do anything to ensure that As Ever is a success and is willing to go it alone.
More than a year ago, Meghan spearheaded her most recent business venture by registering a trademark application to market “ceuticals, cosmetics, and fragrances” in the market.
Meghan, whose other role model is actress-turned-lifestyle guru Gwyneth Paltrow, is said to have taken note of former Spice Girl Victoria’s success and wants to take some of the beauty pie.
According to PR guru Lynn Carratt, “She’s witnessed what Victoria has done, how she’s built her brand, and how it’s been a huge success.” Because I’ve worn Victoria’s clothing before and am a fan, Meghan wants to see if the general public wants a make-up line. People will buy her beauty products regardless of whether you like or dislike her because she has a large following in the USA.
Meghan has been busy, and she wants to be taken more seriously in her own right. Before attending the Project Healthy Minds gala in New York, where she and Harry won the Humanitarian of the Year Award, she made her Paris Fashion Week debut alongside Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour earlier this month.
She spoke about the importance of “financial independence” at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit two weeks ago in Washington, DC.
She “mixes in fashion and beauty circles and is establishing contacts with the industry,” Lynn claims. She’ll be featured more frequently at Fashion Weeks, in my opinion.
Lynn also cites Kylie Jenner as a likely inspiration, which could explain Meghan’s recent appearance with SKIMS co-founder Emma Grede. “We’ve seen how well Kylie Jenner’s done with her make-up range – becoming a billionaire,” says Lynn. “So I think Meghan is looking at these people and thinking, ‘I can do that.’”
While Lynn acknowledges that Meghan’s previous projects have been “a little inconsistent,” she believes beauty could be the best course of action.
She claims that “from a PR standpoint, she has something she could make a lot of money off of.” She has everything if she can adapt As Ever to beauty, fashion, and make-up.
She has the assurance that she can succeed with her brand, and that she is determined to do so, according to our source. She is aware of how popular she is in the US. She is determined to succeed, doesn’t need a royal seal of approval, and she is.
