The Inspiring Hidden Message Behind Meghan Markle’s (Sold-Out!) Designer Bag
January 19, 2018Meghan Markle made a fashion statement with extra impact this week.
Visiting Cardiff alongside Prince Harry on Thursday, Meghan accessorized with a bag by DeMellier London, a British brand that donates a set of lifesaving vaccines for children in need in the name of every customer who buys one of their bags.
“I think maybe that resonated with her,” the designer and founder of the label, Mireia Llusia-Lindh, tells PEOPLE, adding, “It’s such an honor, because I think she is such a great role model for many women and a fantastic addition to the royal family – we are so happy!”
Demellier London
Founded by the Spanish-born, London-based designer seven years ago, their permanent “A Bag A Life” charity initiative has been in place for three years. Offering vaccines and treatment to children in countries such as Zambia and Somalia (where 1 in 6 children do not make it to their 6th birthday) in association with SOS Children’s Villages, the brand has so far funded a staggering 25,000 vaccines to children in need.
Purchased in green in perhaps a diplomatic nod to the colors of the Welsh flag, the Mini Venice in Forest Grain retails for $375 and has completely sold out on the company’s web site. (Customers can pre-order for delivery in March.) In another nod to sustainability, the company offer a lifetime complimentary repair service.
While the designer has no idea how the royal-bride-to-be, 36, came across her small but rapidly growing label (celebrity fans include Beyoncé and Emily Blunt), she believes the bag was purchased by Meghan herself — just three days before the event.
“We can now see that there was an order for that color going to Kensington, and the postcode was Kensington Palace! She must have gone to our web site and bought it!” says Llusia-Lindh.
Karwai Tang/WireImage
Much of Meghan’s look on Thursday was informed by the designers’ socially conscious agendas, including her black ribbon-tied coat by sustainable, cruelty-free brand Stella McCartney and jeans by Welsh brand Hiut Denim, whose goal is to rejuvenate the jean industry in their small town of Cardigan in Wales by re-employing all 400 workers who were previously left jobless.
“I absolutely love her look, I think she has a great style and her own personality comes through, it’s a chic effortless look,” says Llusia-Lindh.