In the vein of the Duchess of Sussex’s preferred millennial tone of voice: Meghan Markle has done a thing. The activity in question? Hard launching her return to Instagram and introducing her latest lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard.
While Buckingham Palace finds itself in the centre of a social media firestorm over some poorly photoshopped photos and a “missing” Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Sussex has surreptitiously chosen the perfect moment to pique public interest. Within hours of hard launching to the grid, Meghan’s new venture garnered over 200,000 followers, though there is little intel to glean about what the project actually is.
Indeed, the sparse account only boasts the caption “by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, Established 2024” and the logo, a nouveau rendition of a royal crest and the brand name designed with classical calligraphy typography posted over nine photos. An Instagram story posted to the tune of Nancy Wilson’s “I Wish You Love” reveals more about the creative direction the brand will be taking.
In a video shot in the manner of a Super 8 film, the Suits alumni can be seen adjusting flowers in a vase, mixing ingredients in her stoned Spanish-style kitchen and walking down an entryway in a bustle-esque gown. Meghan has clearly been cooking this up for a while.
Ahead, everything to know about American Riviera Orchard.
What is American Riviera Orchard, Meghan Markle’s new brand?
According to reports, American Riviera Orchard is set to be an extension of Meghan’s now-defunct blog The Tig. (For the Gen-Z amongst us, this was Meghan’s editorial platform named after her favourite wine, Tignanello.)
As per an insider with intel, American Riviera Orchard “will focus on home, garden, food and general lifestyle wares,” hinting that the former senior royal will be launching a range of physical products designed for the household. If a trademark filing obtained by Page Six is to be believed, the collection will involve “home goods including edible treats like jellies, jams and spreads and tableware staples such as cutlery, table linens and drinkware.” “Cookbooks are also covered in the filing,” the publication reported.
American Riviera Orchard also firmly cements Meghan’s locality in Montecito, with the name ‘American Riviera’ in reference to the colloquial nickname given to Santa Barbara for its European-inspired vantage.
Meghan is seemingly leaning in a direction inspired by Nancy Meyer’s body of work, with the coastal grandmother aesthetic reaching its final form in her range of chic, Duchess-approved homewares. Because who wouldn’t want a kitchen like Halle Parker’s from The Parent Trap?
By the time this article went to publish, the following count had already jumped by 20,000, so before any naysayers dub this as a business failure, it’s clear Meghan is attuned to what her tapped-in audience wants from her. A new venture, a new podcast, a new state of mind. Meghan 2.0 is here.
