Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Duchess of Sussex unveils fashion line for 'unemployed women'

Patron of Smart Works charity at launch of collection meant to help women at job interviews

Her return from maternity leave coincides with the beginning of London fashion week, but after the furore that surrounded her trip on Elton John’s private jet, the Duchess of Sussex was not about to make the mistake of facing photographers from the glitz of a catwalk front row.

Instead, she entered John Lewis on Oxford Street in London via the back door, smart but low-key in a £120 pair of black trousers and an £85 white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, to launch the Smart Set, a collection of interview-appropriate clothing for unemployed women trying to enter the workplace.

The duchess is a patron of Smart Works, a charity that provides interview coaching and appropriate outfits for women in need. The Smart Set collection, comprising a trouser suit, white shirt, dress and a leather bag, goes beyond awareness raising with an ambitious plan to improve the quantity and quality of clothing stock at the charity. For each piece sold on the shop floor one will be donated to Smart Works.

The launch was also something of a celebration of Meghan’s image as the modern “relatable” face of the royal family. The duchess, who wore jeans to Wimbledon and is said to have the weekly shop delivered by Ocado rather than Harrods, reminded the audience that almost exactly a year ago she had launched the Together cookbook with the women of the Hubb Community Kitchen who were affected by the Grenfell tower fire.

“Today is about fashion not food, but this is a similar project because both have women helping women at their core,” she said. She was joined on stage by Smart Works staff and clients, who recalled her “really getting stuck in” as a volunteer, putting together outfits and regaling clients with tales of her own first job serving frozen yogurt over the counter in Los Angeles.

To date, Smart Works has depended on donations from individuals and brands. “On one of my visits there was a rack of 40 or 50 lilac jackets. It was a nice jacket, but I thought to myself, these women need and deserve to feel their best not just to wear whatever hasn’t sold at the end of the season,” the duchess said at the launch.

So, she said, she approached her friend and designer Misha Nonoo, the retailers John Lewis and Marks & Spencer (chosen “because I have worn a lot of their clothes since I moved to the UK”), and also the Jigsaw chain because she was “really touched” by the message “in celebration of immigrant culture in this country” of the brand’s award-winning Love Immigration campaign. That Smart Set would be sold through several rival retailers was, said Meghan, “another layer to this communal success story”.

The royal connection and Meghan’s reputation as an elegant and stylish dresser, could drive sales. At the launch the duchess reported she had just been told that the £109 John Lewis bag was already sold out online.

Jill Stanton, the women’s and children’s director at Marks & Spencer, where the machine-washable Smart Set tunic dress will retail at £19.50, said: “By offering our customers the opportunity to purchase a dress and gift one to a Smart Works client, together we are empowering and supporting women.”

Jigsaw’s Smart Set suit has wool-blend trousers at £120 and a matching Italian stretch gabardine blazer for £199. “Pieces like these make a woman feel ready to face the day,” said Louise Long, the head of womenswear buying at Jigsaw.

A spokesperson for the duchess said she had been involved in the design process. The collection’s minimalist aesthetic reflects the personal style of a woman who wore a black trouser suit rather than a gown to her first official evening engagement with Prince Harry and sparked a frenzy for Nonoo’s “Husband” classic white shirt when she wore one to the Invictus Games in 2017.

“There is often a misunderstanding about Smart Works being a makeover, a fashion show of ‘before and after’,” the duchess wrote in Vogue when she was guest editor last month. “But … this is not a fairytale. In fact, if it’s a cultural reference you’re after, forget Cinderella – this is the story of Wonder Woman, ready to take on the world in her metaphorical and literal cape.”

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×