Meghan Markle has made her official return from maternity leave four months after giving birth to son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The Duchess of Sussex stepped out for the launch of the Smart Works capsule collection in London. The women's workwear collection will benefit Smart Works, one of her patronages. The organization helps women in need to gain employment by providing interview training and professional attire.
Meghan looked sharp as she arrived at the event, wearing two pieces from the collection. The white button-down shirt was designed by Meghan's friend Misha Nonoo, who is one of several collaborators making the line possible. The slim-fit tapered black dress pants were designed by Jigsaw. She completed the look with a light brown belt with gold accents and matching fawn-colored heels.
Meghan has purchased all five pieces from the line. It's believed she'll wear them during the royal tour of southern Africa that she, Harry, and Archie will embark on later this month.
Meghan Markle is officially back from maternity leave! The Duchess of Sussex has returned to royal duties four months after giving birth to son Archie. Meghan's return was for a great cause benefiting one of her royal patronages.
Meghan appeared at the Smart Works capsule collection launch in London. The collection, consisting of five items, will benefit the charity organization that helps women in need to find employment through training for interviews and providing professional attire.
Once these capable and prepared women land a job, Smart Works continues to help. The charity gives each woman five additional pieces of professional attire to help them through until they begin getting paid.
Meghan arrived at the event wearing two pieces from the collection, a white button-down shirt by Misha Nonoo and black slim-fit dress pants by Jigsaw. Meghan has purchased all five pieces from the collection, and it's believed she'll wear them during the royal tour of southern Africa later this month.
Every item purchased in the sale of the collection online and in stores will result in the donation of one item to Smart Works. The goal is to help women empower women and play a part in their success stories. The sale will last for a minimum of two weeks, beginning today.
Meghan gave a quick speech before watching a panel conversation between two Smart Works employees, two clients, and a patron. In her speech, Meghan emphasized how much this project has meant to her.
"When I first moved to the U.K. it was incredibly important to me personally to be able to connect with people on the ground who were doing really important work. One of the places that I went to really early on was Smart Works," she began, according to People.
"To be able to have one small project that has such big impact is something I’m really connected to," she continued. "This is the kind of work that I’ve been doing for a really long time and to be able to do it here in my new home of the U.K. means quite a bit to me."
Meghan and Harry are both working hard to focus on more community-based projects in the future, she noted.
"It’s also the same vein of work that my husband and I will continue doing, really strong community-based projects," she explained. "And this is something we’ll be excited to share more about next year when we launch our foundation, Sussex Royal, in 2020."
Meghan has also released some behind-the-scenes photos from her surprising clients who modeled the collection at a shoot a few weeks ago. In the caption, Meghan elaborates on the significance of the project.
"Since moving to the UK, it has been deeply important to me to meet with communities and organisations on the ground doing meaningful work and to try to do whatever I can to help them amplify their impact," Meghan wrote in a post on the Sussex Royal Instagram account.
"It was just last September that we launched the 'Together' cookbook with the women of the Hubb Kitchen in Grenfell," she noted. "Today, a year later, I am excited to celebrate the launch of another initiative of women supporting women, and communities working together for the greater good."
Meghan went on to thank her collaborators for making the project possible.
She wrote, "Thank you to the four brands [Misha Nonoo, Jigsaw, John Lewis & Partners, Marks & Spencer] who came together in supporting Smart Works on this special project – placing purpose over profit and community over competition."
"In convening several companies rather than one, we’ve demonstrated how we can work collectively to empower each other – another layer to this communal success story, that I am so proud to be a part of," she concluded.
Meghan was inspired to get this project going after an early visit to Smart Works, which she recalled in the September issue of British Vogue, which she guest-edited.
"When you walk into a Smart Works space you’re met with racks of clothing and an array of bags and shoes," Meghan wrote, accordingto People. "Sometimes, however, it can be a potpourri of mismatched sizes and colors, not always the right stylistic choices or range of sizes."
Meghan seems excited and enthusiastic about getting back to work. She and Harry are dedicated to making the kind of difference that will impact people's day-to-day lives, and it will be wonderful to watch where that drive takes them.
