On Tuesday, Meghan Markle released the final episode of her eight-episode podcast series, Confessions of a Female Founder, which ended with a spiritual and emotional interview with Spanx founder Sara Blakely. This week marks the end of her recent press run, which began when Meghan rejoined Instagram and dropped the trailer for her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, in January, but her relaunch as an entrepreneur is just getting started.
A source close to the duchess told Vanity Fair that products for her As Ever brand will be restocked on her website soon. For the last two months, the company’s website has shown its product range, including raspberry preserves, crepe and cookie mix, and flower sprinkles, all of which sold out in less than an hour in April.
In recent weeks, Meghan has teased a few big announcements on the As Ever Instagram page, and her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, is due to air its second season this fall. Still, Fast Company reports that the company likely won’t expand its range of products until early next year.
In an interview with the magazine, the duchess said she plans to take a step back and analyze the data from the brand’s launch. “I want to really focus on the hospitality angle of As Ever, but as we take the learnings, we can understand what the customer’s needs are seasonally,” she told the magazine, adding that she will continue to be motivated by the love of her own home. “Everything comes from being rooted in the love story of your home and garden, and then you can imagine different verticals coming out of that.”
The duchess said that she is still working on product development with Netflix’s Consumer Products Group. “We are on calls daily, working through product development, SKUs, and inventory,” she said. “We have a field trip tomorrow to look at different manufacturers and suppliers as we expand the brand.” The company was launched as a tie-in to the show, but she added that she intentionally gave it a different name. “The brand is in the same universe at the show, but they’re not the same.”
Her current trademark application doesn’t include any intention for clothing under the name—perhaps due to another fashion brand’s association with the As Ever name—but Meghan is already an investor in other women-owned companies. She also has a ShopMy page, where she posts affiliate links to the outfits and accessories she wears in her social media posts.
In the Fast Company interview, the duchess hinted at future plans in the arena. “The category of fashion is something I will explore at a later date,” she said, “because I do think that’s an interesting space for me.”