Last Updated: July 8, 2025
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Why Meghan Markle didn’t dive into fashion after leaving the royals
Last Updated: July 8, 2025
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When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stepped away from their royal duties, many people assumed Meghan would take the obvious route into the fashion or beauty industry.
With her polished personal style, background as a television actress, and global visibility, it felt like the next logical step. But Meghan had other ideas, and as she recently revealed on the Aspire podcast, those assumptions were never aligned with her true interests.
Instead of joining the long list of celebrities launching skincare lines or designer clothing labels, Meghan chose to introduce something far more personal and delightfully unexpected: her lifestyle brand, As Ever, beginning with something as simple and heartfelt as homemade jam.
Let’s take a closer look at why Meghan swerved from the fashion path, what drives her creatively, and how her lifestyle venture is shaping up to be a reflection of who she really is.
It Was Never About Trends, It Was About Joy
While she admits the temptation to go into fashion and beauty was real, Meghan was honest with herself about what she actually wanted to do every day.
“I knew that I wanted to put something in the world for years — and we’ve been out here for five years now — really trying to decipher, ‘What do I want to share?’ What do I really want to authentically, organically share, and how do I translate that?” she said on the podcast.
That question led her not to the runway but to her own kitchen as she told listeners, the inspiration behind As Ever actually came from a personal tradition, making jams and preserves at home and gifting them to friends during the holidays.
“Truth be told, I had just been making a lot of jams and preserves at home, and I was sharing them as holiday gifts with friends. … So many friends at the same time, saying, ‘I don’t know what it is, but your jam makes me so happy!’ And I go, ‘Maybe that’s the thing.’”
Rather than chasing what was expected of her, Meghan leaned into something that felt joyful and real.
A Childhood Dream With Grown-Up Scale
Her decision to pursue something more lifestyle-focused was not a random one. Meghan revealed that her entrepreneurial side had always been there.
Back in fifth or sixth grade, she would buy fabric in downtown Los Angeles and use it to make scrunchies, which she then sold to classmates for a dollar each.
This youthful spirit of innovation has clearly stayed with her. Though she originally envisioned As Ever as a small, local passion project, her reach expanded dramatically when Netflix came on board for her lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan.
“[It went] far beyond my ideas of, ‘Oh, I can sell locally, like, get a farmer’s market,’ like, I thought that would be cute,” she said with a laugh. “So suddenly, it just changed quite a bit, and the offerings will expand to meet that same demand and that interest, which I’m grateful for.”
What started as a cozy kitchen experiment has turned into a growing global brand, and Meghan seems both surprised and excited about it.
Could Fashion Still Be in the Future?
While Meghan didn’t jump into the fashion industry right away, she hasn’t completely closed that door.
Her fashion choices are still widely followed and often influence trends, with pieces she wears frequently selling out after public appearances.
She’s also recently trademarked As Ever for hospitality services, suggesting future plans may include hotels or restaurants under her brand.
With a lifestyle empire forming, it would not be surprising to see fashion eventually fold into the mix, but on her own terms and in her own time.
She’s Always Done Things Her Way
Long before her royal chapter, Meghan was already someone who followed her instincts, especially when it came to beauty. She recently reflected on a moment from her Suits days that speaks volumes about her approach to authenticity.
“I was on ‘Suits’ for seven years, and I remember so many other actresses — especially if you’re in that grind — they said, ‘You are going to fry your hair.’ Everyone was recommending that I should start wearing wigs,” she recalled in a conversation with Tina Knowles on the Confessions of a Female Founder podcast.
“I never ended up doing it,” she said, though she added she might have considered it “had [she] been in that industry longer.”
That decision to wear her natural hair despite professional pressure mirrors her post-royal career choices. Meghan is determined to create and build in a way that aligns with her values and passions, not just the outside world’s expectations.
A Brand Built on Heart, Not Hype
Meghan Markle’s move into the world of lifestyle branding may have caught some off guard, but it’s quickly proving to be a natural fit.
Whether she’s making jam, developing a TV show, or laying the foundation for future hospitality ventures, there’s a clear thread running through it all: joy, connection, and authenticity.
She’s not building a brand because it’s trending. She’s building it because it makes people smile. And at the end of the day, that’s something far more lasting than fashion fads.
As Meghan herself said, “Maybe that’s the thing.”
TL;DR
- Meghan Markle explained on the Aspire podcast why she didn’t go into fashion or beauty after leaving the royal family.
- She wanted to pursue something more authentic to her interests, which led to her lifestyle brand, As Ever, beginning with homemade jam.
- Meghan has had an entrepreneurial spirit since childhood and hopes her brand brings happiness to others.
- Her lifestyle series With Love, Meghan on Netflix took her small idea to a global scale.
- While she’s not in fashion now, she hasn’t ruled it out for the future.
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Bee DeloresAuthor
Bee DeloresLover of hiking, biking, horror movies, cats and camping. Writer at Wide Open Country, Holler and Nashville Gab.
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