Meghan Markle Partners With Fashion Brand To Donate 500 Handbags To Charity
Meghan Markle has partnered with luxury leather goods brand Cuyana and the UK-based charity Smart Works to donate 500 handbags to charity.
The Duchess, who is known for her philanthropy and power dressing, has been a patron of Smart Works, which provides a dressing and coaching service to women searching for employment, since 2019.
With the 41-year-old's backing, Cuyana will be donating 500 of its Classic Structured Tote bags to Smart Works. After its clients find employment, Smart Works aims to gift women a capsule wardrobe for their new job.
The mum-of-two's involvement with the project comes prior to Giving Tuesday, the day following Thanksgiving in the United States, which sees organisations develop ways in which to give back to their communities.
Markle said of the her collaboration with Cuyana: 'Over the years, I've had the privilege of witnessing the magic of Smart Works—women's confidence and lives transformed.
'Smart Works invests in women so they know they can thrive in any workplace, and Cuyana is a company that is by women and for women, so this feels like the perfect fit. Similar to the Smart Set collection we created many years ago for Smart Works, this collaboration will support women in the UK as they mobilise back into the workforce.
'I am proud to bring these two together to further our shared mission of uplifting and empowering women all around the globe.'
The Archewell co-founder, who is vocal about gender inequality and improving opportunities for women, launched a capsule collection for Smart Works back in 2019 which featured pieces from the likes of Jigsaw, John Lewis & Partners, Marks & Spencer and her designer friend Misha Nonoo.
Markle explained that she wanted to provide a 'small way' to amplify women's work, having visited Smart Works and realising that while the organisation had several clothing donations, a lot of them weren’t items the women ‘needed to have’.
The Suits star previously said: 'Community is going through your closet and saying "this is the blazer that I first wore when I nailed by first job interview and got my dream job, and I don’t need that anymore because I’m where I need to be. But if I’m able to share that blazer and be part of another woman’s success story, then that’s community".'
The royal has a love for handbags, and has her own coveted collection of styles and colours which includes designs from brands like DeMellier, Strathberry, Mulberry, Charlotte Olympia, and Gucci.
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