The Duchess of Sussex made her official return to work today at the launch of her charity fashion line.
Meghan, 38, has been on maternity leave since having her son Archie in May. She resumed royal duties by unveiling her capsule collection for Smart Works, an organisation that helps unemployed women find professional clothing for job interviews.
The “Smart Set collection” brings together designer Misha Nonoo, a close friend of the duchess, and leading British brands Jigsaw, John Lewis & Partners and Marks & Spencer.
Each time someone buys a piece of clothing from the collection the same item will be given to a client at Smart Works, of which Meghan is patron.
The American former actress has bought the entire range for herself and was set to wear one of the outfits at the launch in central London today.
She said: “Since moving to the UK, it has been deeply important to me 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. It was just last September that we launched the Together cookbook with the women of the Hubb Kitchen in Grenfell.
“Now, a year later, I am excited to celebrate the launch of another initiative of women supporting women, and communities working together for the greater good.
"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.
“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.”
The collection includes a blazer and trousers from Jigsaw, a tote bag from John Lewis & Partners, a classic dress from Marks & Spencer, and a crisp white shirt from Misha Nonoo.
It is available in stores and online from today for at least two weeks, as well as in Smart Works dressing rooms across the UK.
To mark the launch, the duchess also released a series of pictures from her work behind the scenes at Smart Works.
Its founder and chair, Juliet Hughes-Hallett, said: “Today Smart Works celebrates its sixth year and its 15,000th client — its 15,000th moment of helping a woman back into the workplace.
"We have dressed and trained every woman as if she was the only one and made each and every client feel exceptional.
“The Smart Set capsule collection will make a significant difference in our ability to dress our clients in the high-quality clothes and accessories they need, giving her the opportunity regain her confidence, look fabulous and get the job.”
