Decoding Meghan and Harry’s Hollywood ‘power look’
Three months after the birth of their second child, Lilibet, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made a return to public life as only they can: by starring together on their first magazine cover.
It’s not just any cover shoot, of course. This is the Time 100, the title’s annual list of the world’s most influential people. It’s one of seven different covers for the issue, with others featuring gymnast Simone Biles, actress Kate Winslet and director-general of the World Trade Organisation Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
With Harry in black and Meghan in white, the message they are sending is that this is a moment that’s not about fashion; it’s about the impact they hope to have on the world. That’s why they’ve gone with Time, not Vogue or Vanity Fair.
That said, fashion is a powerful language through which we can detect all manner of clues about how the couple wishes to be seen.
Inside the magazine, they are captured by photographer Pari Dukovic in a verdant setting, wearing a palette of contrasting dark greens: Harry in a moss-coloured suit (more on that later), Meghan in a roll-neck jumper, tailored trousers and a long winter coat. An unassuming wardrobe, you might think, but it is also an aesthetic that is synonymous with the ultra-wealthy.
I’m not talking about the kind of wealth that might afford someone to buy a Chanel handbag or Bottega Veneta shoes, but the next level up: the power player that doesn’t need to telegraph their net worth. It’s ‘stealth wealth’, which demands impeccably sourced fabrics, a flawless cut and absolutely no logos whatsoever.
Phoebe Philo-era Céline, Brunello Cucinelli and Gabriela Hearst are the kinds of brands that excel in this kind of understated luxury. In fact, their very logo-less-ness is part of their appeal. Meghan wears Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's label The Row for this shoot, another house that specialises in this kind of pared-back, expensive elegance.
There’s a lot we can learn from the fact that they were styled for the shoot by costume designers Clare and Nina Hallworth, best known for their work with Jennifer Aniston. The sisters are masters of this aesthetic, and were responsible for dressing Aniston for her Apple TV+ series The Morning Show.
In an interview about Aniston’s wardrobe for the show last year, Nina Hallworth told me: "We worked with Valextra [on handbags] exclusively because of its designs, as a statement of minimalist luxury, no bells, whistles, tags or logos. They are elegant, colour-blocked, hardy and functional.
We also relied on Dior's signature jackets, as they are beautifully proportioned and feminine in a nostalgic way, yet the shape projects strength with exaggerated lapels and complex materials. Phoebe Philo's double-faced cashmere coats from her last year at Céline are her anchors."
These are qualities that one imagines Meghan might appreciate in the clothes she wears, and clothes that may well suit her new Montecito life. The pleat-fronted, wide-legged trousers are also a stark contrast with the polite midi skirts and dresses she wore back in the UK as a working royal.
But stealth wealth isn’t just about looking rich. It’s a power move too, and that tells us something about Meghan and Harry’s ambitions. Just look at the way Shiv Roy is styled in the second series of HBO hit Succession.
The character, an ambitious woman born into extreme wealth, wears Gabriela Hearst's open-back cashmere roll-neck midi dress when stepping-up her style game (she also wears Giorgio Armani and Ralph Lauren) as she plots to succeed her father as CEO of Waystar Royco.
Of course, this is a magazine photoshoot, and we all know that in these instances, clothes are borrowed from brands for the occasion, and returned afterwards. But we also know that Meghan and Harry care about their image and are very conscious of how they are perceived. It’s unlikely that the looks for this shoot were chosen without consultation with the couple.
They may be busy parents to a toddler and a newborn and aspiring to a more private life, but this magazine cover tells us myriad things about their new lives, the company they keep and their ambitions for the future. The boldest message though? We’re only just getting started.
Prince Harry: Cut from a different cloth
By Stephen Doig
Prince Harry has never followed the familiar path of his brother and father with regards to suiting; while the senior men of the royal family stick to a traditional line-up of classic navy and black suits for the most part, Harry demonstrates that he's cut from a different cloth, quite literally.
The prince favours a light blue J. Crew suit – as seen during the infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey – as well as a bold blue suit from Paul Smith. But this is his first foray into more adventurous tailoring territory, in a deep forest-green suit that demonstrates he's not of the corporate mold.
Leave the Establishment to their City-appropriate greys and navies; wearing a coloured suit is a sign that you're a non-conformist, and perhaps there's a message in the fact that the private jet-hopping eco-warrior has chosen green.
It's also telling that Prince Harry chose his African beaded bracelets to be front and centre of the Time cover photoshoot; he has extremely sentimental links to the continent, having spoken of its healing power after his father took him and his brother there in the aftermath of Princess Diana's death.
And the bohemian bracelets are a style signifier that he sits apart from the stuffy blue blood aristocracy he's long been a part of.
