Following the news that she is teaming up with some of the British high street's leading retailers to launch a capsule collection of clothes, Meghan Markle{
Sharing the pictures, from when she visited Smart Works (the charity which the clothes will benefit) Sussex Royal shared the five new photographs on Instagram. The caption began, ‘After quiet visits to Smartworks over the last year, The Duchess was moved by the impactful work being done by this non profit organisation that helps women into the workforce, equipping them with both the skills and clothes they need to feel job-ready.’
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Smart Works provides professional clothes and interview training to unemployed women, helping to encourage and support them to enter the workspace. The charity states that, 'We harness the power of clothes and confidence to allow a woman to be her best at a crucial moment in her life, giving her the confidence, the self-belief and the practical tools required to succeed at interview and transform her life.'
The caption continued on Instagram, ‘Throughout her visits she noticed that while the donations were plentiful, they were also notably a combination of mismatched items and colours which weren’t always the right stylistic choices or sizes that didn’t necessarily “suit” the job at hand: to make a woman feel confident and inspired as she walked into her job interview. As a result, launching this autumn, The Duchess will be supporting a collective to help equip the women of Smart Works with the key workwear essentials they need as they enter into the workplace.’
In the September issue of the magazine, Meghan writes about her experience visiting the charity, 'When you walk into a Smart Works space you’re met with racks of clothing and an array of bags and shoes. Sometimes, however, it can be a potpourri of mismatched sizes and colours, not always the right stylistic choices or range of sizes. To help with this, I asked Marks & Spencer, John Lewis & Partners, Jigsaw and my friends, the designer Mischa Nonoo, if they were willing to design a capsule collection of more classic options for a workwear wardrobe.'
When a piece is bought from the capsule collection, another item will be donated to Smart Works, as Meghan herself explains further: 'Taking the idea further, many of the brands agreed to use the one-for-one model: for each item purchased by a customer, one is donated to the charity. Not only does this allow us to be part of each other’s story, it reminds us we are in it together.'
There's no news yet on when the collection will launch, but the combination of the Duchess of Sussex and big brands like M&S will surely ensure it's a sell-out success, hopefully generating a great deal of help for Smart Works.