Meghan Markle is guest editing British Vogue for the first time — so what does it mean for ‘brand Meghan’?
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is the guest editor of British Vogue — and she’s raised eyebrows with her expensive outfit choice.
She’s known for her designer-studded wardrobe and Meghan Markle has again caused controversy with what she is wearing.
The Duchess of Sussex, is guest editing British Vogue — and sported a £2,300 ($A4500) Gucci dress for a magazine shoot at London charity, Smart Works.
The former Suits star, 37, wore the sleeveless tweed dress, featuring a black bow and oversized rose brooch on the front, from the Italian luxury designer’s the Resort ‘19 collection. It is currently for sale on high-end site, NET-A-PORTER.
The designer dress seemed at odds with the charity Markle was promoting in the photo shoot. Smart Works, of which Markle is a patron, is described as a “dressing and coaching service for unemployed women”.
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The Duchess took a more thrifty approach to her outfit in a video about her Vogue editing duties, wearing an affordable $120 Everlane jumpsuit.
She has been heavily criticised for her expensive taste and lavish lifestyle — including her Givenchy, Dior and Burberry-clad wardrobe, with her spending on clothing and accessories billed at more than £800,000 ($A1.43 million), according to palace spending reports.
Meghan’s Vogue guest editor role has been blasted by critics including outspoken UK commentator Piers Morgan, who accused her of “being about as political as any royal has ever been”.
Morgan said the women she chose to profile in the magazine were “radical, liberal”.
“She constantly bleats about privacy but also wants to edit magazines to promote herself and tell us how to lead our lives,” he added in his column for a British newspaper.
BEHIND MEGHAN’S VOGUE COVER
It was the worst kept secret in fashion which was finally confirmed yesterday.
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has a new job as the guest editor of British Vogue’s upcoming September issue.
And her first cover in charge has revealed a lot about her personal agenda.
Rather than appearing on the front, the former lifestyle blogger turned royal chose to feature portraits of women who are profiled inside the magazine. Among them are Australian supermodel Adut Akech, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and Hollywood actor and activist, Jane Fonda.
“The cover features 15 world-leading women who are reshaping public life for global good, and were personally chosen by the Duchess of Sussex, and British Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Edward Enninful,” the magazine said in a statement.
So what does the first-look at Markle’s edition of Vogue UK reveal about her?
“Obviously, Meghan is promoting ‘brand Meghan’ by attaching herself to this highly-prestigious fashion magazine,” royal expert and Flinders University associate professor Giselle Bastin said.
“My guess is that this isn’t being driven by the Palace but by Meghan herself.
“Meghan’s guest editing of the September Vogue falls in line with the royals and their various commercial ventures.”
Bastin noted that the modern royals have a history with Vogue.
“Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, did a photo layout for Vogue in June 2016, so Vogue magazine is obviously on the ‘acceptable’ list with the royals.
“Diana, Princess of Wales’ photos appeared in Vogue as well,” Bastin added.
“But this won’t be the story that gets told; it will turn into a case of ‘Meghan is publicity-mad and will do anything to keep her face in the public domain’.
“Something tells me that, despite the long history of the royals branching out into commercially-driven endeavours … Meghan will come in for some heightened criticism in the way that she always is.”
As for the Vogue front cover (and decision not to feature a photo of herself), body language and psychology expert Dr Louise Mahler believes Meghan chose to profile women she relates to personally.
“These women look like a breakdown of her, different aspects of her personality,” Dr Mahler said.
“They’re all parts of her that she wants to bring out. No doubt she does (want to help their causes).
“She would have had thousands of names put to her, but unless they related to her in some way. Her agenda is who she is, it’s her identity.
“She’s highlighting women in leadership positions that are diverse. If you put them all together, they would come out as Meghan.”
For the special issue, Markle — who once edited her own lifestyle blog titled The Tig (it closed when she became a royal-in-waiting) — interviewed former US First Lady Michelle Obama.
“To have the country’s most influential beacon of change guest edit British Vogue at this time has been an honour, a pleasure and a wonderful surprise,” Enninful said, of the Duchess’s involvement.
The Duchess is the first guest editor of Vogue’s September issue in the magazine’s 103-year history.
“My instructions from the Duchess were clear: ‘I want to see freckles,’” photographer Peter Lindberg said, of Markle’s direction to him before the cover shoot (Lindberg previously photographed Markle for the cover of Vanity Fair).
“Well, that was like running through open doors for me. I love freckles,” he added, according to People.
The September issue of Vogue is the most anticipated of the year and is where the influential style bible predicts forthcoming trends — fashion, cultural and social — for the next 12 months.
The September issue of British Vogue is out on August 2.
Originally published as Meghan Markle is guest editing British Vogue for the first time — so what does it mean for ‘brand Meghan’?