Meghan Markle has seemingly subtly addressed the swirling controversy surrounding her lifestyle brand, As Ever, after facing accusations of “copying” over its recent rebranding.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, took to social media on Thursday, sharing a collage filled with personal mementoes and cryptic quotes that seemed to reflect her mindset amid the growing scrutiny.
The artistic post came shortly after Meghan announced the rebranding of her lifestyle company. Originally named American Riviera Orchard, the company has now been rebranded to As Ever.
However, this move sparked backlash.
Meghan Markle shares As Ever mood board in Instagram post
Meghan’s latest social media post featured a white-framed collage. Included in the collage were photographs, handwritten notes, and sweet keepsakes that offered a glimpse into her personal life and passions.
It also featured images of her homemade culinary creations and a snapshot of her photographing food.
“From memory lane to the memories I’m making today…” Meghan captioned the post.
However, it was the quotes scattered throughout the artwork that sparked the most interest.
The subtle messages seemed to speak directly to Meghan’s critics.
Phrases like “happiness looks good on you” and “you cannot make everybody happy, you’re not a jar of Nutella” hinted at her response to the ongoing public scrutiny.
Another quote reads, “stay close to people who feel like sunshine,” while one of the most poignant lines declared, “not to spoil the ending for you, but everything is going to be ok”.
The collage also included personal mementoes. These include a ‘California 33’ sticker referencing her home state, a green star believed to have been crafted by her children, and a sweet sketch of Meghan and Prince Harry walking their dog.
The green star drawing seemed to capture fans’ attention as they predicted Archie wrote it with his name. One person said on X: “The green star is from Prince Archie… he wrote his name on it.”
Another wrote: “Is it Archie who tried to write his name on the star?”
A third said: “Green star on the billboard is that Archie writing his name? maybe. Too cute.”
Meghan accused of ‘copying’ As Ever name and logo
While Meghan hasn’t directly addressed the controversy surrounding As Ever, the message behind her collage seems clear – she’s choosing positivity over conflict.
The subtle post comes in the wake of public backlash after the rebranding announcement.
Initially named American Riviera Orchard, Meghan explained her decision to change the name.
“Last year, I thought, you know, American Riviera, that sounds like such a great name,” Meghan explained in an Instagram video. “It’s my neighbourhood; it’s a nickname for Santa Barbara. But it limited me to things that were manufactured and grown in this area. Then Netflix came on, not just as my partner in the show, but as my partner in my business – which was huge.”
She added: “‘As Ever’ essentially means as it’s always been, and if you’ve followed me since 2014 with The Tig, you know I’ve always loved cooking and crafting and gardening – this is what I do.”
Clothing company owner speaks out over Meghan Markle’s rebrand
However, the excitement around the rebrand quickly turned sour.
Small business owner Mark Kolski expressed concerns over Meghan’s use of the name. Mark runs a family-owned NYC clothing company also called As Ever.
“I’m a very small business, it’s a family-run operation,” Mark told The Sun. “This new venture has the power and money of Netflix behind it. Even if I wanted to do something, I don’t have the behemoth of lawyers and money that are behind this.”
However, Royal Insider understands the Duchess of Sussex’s brand is a lifestyle brand and will not be making clothing.
Adding to the controversy, Francisca Mora Veny – mayor of Porreres in Majorca – said Meghan’s As Ever logo has striking similarities to the Coat of Arms logo of the Spanish town.
