In truth, it’s usually a picture of Meghan Markle that gets people talking about her choice of under-the-radar brands. For all the pitting of Meghan against Kate Middleton, it seems these two royals have one more thing in common.
The Duchess of Sussex’s handbag collection, including Victoria Beckham, Cartier, Chanel, Givenchy, Dior and Gabriella Hearst may be hard to beat, but in Blackpool yesterday Kate Middleton’s bag proved she too has her finger on the purse pulse. Clasped in her hand was a £408 emerald suede micro-bag called the ‘Bold Monte Green’ by Turkish-label Manu Atelier.
This is the second time Kate has given her backing to the brand. She first wore the accessory for the opening of the V&A in Dundee on January 29th. Fashion insiders are well aware that the Duchess isn’t alone in her affection for the label, in fact, it’s long been a favourite with those in-the-know, receiving patronage from Sarah Jessica Parker and street style veterans Lisa Aiken, Eva Chen, Blanca Miro and Jeannette Madsen.
Manu Atelier
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Where Meghan's wardrobe tempers couture with sustainable labels, the Duchess of Cambridge's signature look has always included mid-priced brands and tailored coats. In keeping with Kate Middleton's style, her ensemble in Blackpool was collated out of items she'd already owned, like a green Sportsmax coat from AW15 she previously wore on Christmas day with a belt and a sold-out peacock print MICHAEL Michael Kors dress.
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Regardless of being stocked on Browns and in Selfridges, Manu Atelier is still a relatively small operation. Founded by Turkish sisters, Merve and Beste Manastir, it is a self-funded venture operated out of Istanbul that back in 2013 with a rectangular camera bag in a Skittles rainbow of colours with a scratch-proof coating for a fraction of the price of most. Like Cult Gaia and Wandler, it was social media that propelled their business to grow. With a similar price point and laser-like focus to Mansur Gavriel when it first started, Manu Atelier is now following in this designer's footsteps (literally) by expanding ever so slowly, notably with the launch of their first shoe collection in the summer of 2019.
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Kate Middleton's style might not be the thing that gets people talking - in fact, it was her talk of broodiness that set tongues wagging this week - but that's no reason to sleep on her handbag choices.
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