You’ll only see me in awe of leaders effecting change. Diplomat Madeleine Albright, U.N. Sec Gen Ban Ki-moon. These are my heroes my celebrities.

The former Meghan Markle now Duchess of Sussex

Purpose: Why SmartWorks Works

 Smart Works is a charity for which the Duchess of Sussex is patron. Clients receive one-on-one interview preparation and an outfit to help them secure employment. After quiet visits to Smartworks over the last year, The Duchess was moved by the impactful work being done by this non profit organisation that helps women get back into the workforce, equipping them with both the skills and clothes they need to feel job-ready

The reason why I was drawn to Smart Works is that it reframed the idea of charity as community…..it’s a network of women supporting and empowering other women in their professional pursuits

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex

Duchess Meghan is composed and resolute in her campaign to recognize women’s voices. She is compassionate being a blessing to those in need giving them a hand up and not hand out.  She is passionate about making the world a better place. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are committed to making a positive impact on the world.

Benefits of Royal Patronage

It’s a community that I’m so drawn to about it here. It’s not just donating your clothes and seeing where they land, but really being part of each other’s success stories as women. If that’s in the tools that you give or the interview prep that’s happening, every piece of it.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex

Royal World-class Styling Advice

In her pre-royal days Duchess of Sussex was a fashion correspondent on the US NBC show known as the TODAY Show where she offered styling advice to audience members. Lest we forget Duchess Meghan was also a fashion designer creating two sold out capsules with Reitmans.

Global Recognition

As a global campaigner for women and their rights worldwide, the Duchess will shine a light on Smart Works, enabling more women to come to our centers and get the job that will transform their lives

Smart Works CEO Kate Stephens

The charity SmartWorks has been growing rapidly since Duchess Meghan became patron. In February 2019 SmartWorks helped 187 women in London alone. This represents a 47% increase from 2018. The former Meghan Markle is proving to be the Duchess of Influence.

Challenge and Opportunity

Throughout her visits she noticed that while the donations were plentiful, they were also notably a combination of mismatched items and colours which weren’t always the right stylistic choices or sizes that didn’t necessarily “suit” the job at hand: to make a woman feel confident and inspired as she walked into her job interview. The Duchess of Sussex is using her platform to make a positive impact

Innovation and Forward Thinking: Office 365

The business savvy Meghan Duchess of Sussex is an out of the box thinker and is known for her forward thinking approach to problem solving.

As a result, launching this autumn, The Duchess will be supporting a collective to help equip the women of Smart Works with the key workwear essentials they need as they enter into the workplace. This initiative is supported by four generous brands who share the vision to empower the women of Smart Works to look and feel 💯 as they bravely venture in to what can often be a daunting environment for those who have been out of the job market.

Meghanomics the Meghan Effect

Smart Works says it dressed 27% more women this July than the previous year as it got a boost from Markle’s involvement as a royal patron.

Bloomberg

Social entrepreneurship model

Smart Works Workwear which is the Duchess of Sussex brainchild creates financial sustainability for Smart Works charity. This strategy will ensure that the charity has funds to meet its objectives.

The brands have come together to work towards this united force for good, “[reframing] the idea of charity as community,” as The Duchess writes in a piece for this month’s British Vogue. They will follow the 1:1 model where an item from the collection purchased is an item shared with a woman of Smart Works because “not only does this allow us to be part of each other’s story; it reminds us we are in it together.” For more information on how you can be part of another woman’s success story visit @smartworkscharity.

@SussexRoyal

The retail brands collaborating with the Duchess of Sussex include  Marks & Spencer, John Lewis Partnership Plc, Jigsaw and designer beautiful businesswoman Misha Nonoo. To create a win-win situation. Marks & Spencer is an established British brand has been struggling in the new retail environment of online shopping with competition from e-retailers.

Marks & Spencer Shares rose as much as 1.8% early Thursday in London after news of  the partnership with Duchess of Sussex .

Bloomberg.com

Role Model Taking charge: Strong Suit

The Duchess of Sussex the former Meghan Markle is the definition of a #GirlBoss. She took charge of her career and created opportunities for herself when she was a relatively unknown player in Hollywood. Meghan is a go getter and having little name recognition at the time she started to build her media empire from the ground up a lifestyle blog called ‘The TIG’. Meghan did not wait for someone to give her a column in one of the Conde Nast before she could share her wisdom. Instead she grabbed the bull by the horn and created her own platform and built her own tribe who shared similar passion and philosophies in the process. She is sharing her advice of navigating the business world with women entering the workforce again. As one member of the Sussexsquad put it they believe in always pursuing goal and ever achieving.

When we choose to wear a certain designer, we’re not just a reflection of their creativity and their vision, but we’re also an extension of their values.

HRH Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at British fashion awards 2018

British women are more likely to be unemployed than men, according to statistics released in 2018 — but women’s unemployment is widespread. Women are more likely to live in poverty than men, with 122 women between the ages of 25 and 34 living in poor households for every 100 men in the same age group. Source Oxfam & World Bank. SmartWorks is a very much needed charity.