One Of The Pieces From Meghan Markle’s Smart Works Collection Has Already Sold Out

Meghan Markle has teamed up with John Lewis and Partners, Marks And Spencer, Jigsaw and designer Misha Nonoo to create a capsule collection of clothes to benefit Smart Works.

Meghan is a big fan of the charity and says, in her guest editor's letter in Vogue's September issue, she 'strongly believes in' the work they do, which includes providing high quality interview clothes and training to unemployed women in need.

So what's in her collection? M&S has launched a crepe shift dress in three different colours – black, red and navy – that's a very reasonable £19.50. It's flattering, well-cut and has sleeves, which is always a bonus.

John Lewis & Partners, meanwhile, has launched a tan leather tote bag – the perfect size for all of your essentials, and then some - and it's already sold out.

For the collection, Jigsaw are selling a slick slim fit suit, with the blazer retailing at £199 and the trousers selling for £120.

Shop The Collection

'It's incredibly important to me personally to be able to connect with people on the ground doing really important work, and one of the places I went to very early on was Smart Works,' Meghan said at the capsule collection presentation today.

On the brands she chose for the collaboration, Meghan said: 'if this is going to be classics and essentials, what are traditional and quintessential British brands that I'd become introduced to since I moved here that for me resonated, and I knew would resonate with a Smart Works customer. '

Revealing the five-piece collection on Instagram, Meghan wrote that 'it has been deeply important to [her] 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.'

'Thank you to the four brands who came together in supporting Smart Works on this special project - placing purpose over profit and community over competition,' she added. '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.'

Whenever you buy one of these items, the brand will donate one to Smart Works, which offers 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.'

Just last month, the @sussexroyal Instagram account provided a behind-the-scenes look at a photo shoot for the new fashion line.

On Stories, @sussexroyal posted a montage of videos taken at the shoot, in which Meghan can be seen to be taking a very hands-on approach, styling different women, greeting people with hugs and looking extremely excited as she sees everything take shape. It's all set to Bill Withers' Lovely Day, just to add to the sheer emotion of it all.

Naturally, there's already much discussion around what Meghan is wearing in the videos, which is in fact a blue linen shirt from the sustainable British brandWith Nothing Underneath. Thestriped shirt is £85and is – believe it or not – still in stock in all sizes.

In Vogue's much-discussed September issue, 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.'

Explaining the new collection and how it will benefit Smart Works, Meghan explained: '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.'

The combination of the Duchess of Sussex and big brands like M&S will surely ensure that this collection is a sell-out success, hopefully generating a great deal of help for Smart Works. Explaining exactly why she had been drawn to the charity, Meghan wrote: 'It reframed the idea of charity as community.....it’s a network of women supporting and empowering other women in their professional pursuits.'