London fashion brand sees sales rush after Meghan label faux-pas
A London fashion brand has seen a 400% increase in visits to its website after the Duchess of Sussex inadvertently wore a dress with the tag still attached.
Self-Portrait, based in Mayfair, said its first unit of the £345 red outfit Meghan wore quickly sold out after photos of the fashion faux-pas were published.
It claimed sales have since increased by 35% in the UK, and in the US they have jumped 41%.
Other brands worn by the Duchess during the current royal tour have also said they have seen a boost in interest as a result.
Meghan, travelling with her husband Harry, began the tour in a white shift dress by Australian designer Karen Gee – an outing which marked her first public appearance since it was announced she is pregnant.
The resulting surge in people seeking out the £977 "Blessed" dress prompted the company's website to crash.
Meanwhile, French designer Martin Grant said sales had "hugely" increased after Meghan wore a range of items from the brand, including a beige trench coat and a maxi sundress.
And there was a spike in Google searches for "Emilia Wickstead" shortly after she wore a custom-made black outfit by the designer at the opening of the Anzac Memorial in Sydney.
Other fashion highlights during the Duke and Duchess's tour so far include a navy Stella McCartney cape dress, a grey plaid blazer from Serena Williams's clothing collection, and a white pearl dress by Australian label Zimmerman, matched with a Stephen Jones hat and Aquazzura "Denzure" black bow pumps.
The Duchess has also displayed her interest in ethical fashion on the trip, wearing environmentally-friendly Veja-10 trainers while watching the Invictus Games sailing competition and a striped dress by sustainable fashion brand Reformation during a visit to Fraser Island.
