Ever since Kate Middleton started dating Prince William, her influence on the nation's desire to wear certain brands has been unprecedented. However, it seems that Meghan Markle's pull could be set to be even stronger.
When Markle attended the Invictus Games in September – which also marked her first official public appearance with Prince Harry – she wore a pair of tortoiseshell 'Percy' sunglasses by Finlay & Co. When she was spotted shopping in West London last week, she wore them again. Following Markle's unofficial endorsement, the brand revealed today that sales have since increased by 1,000 per cent.
The ability to have such a strong impact on fashion sales is something that is not new to the royal family, with the Duchess of Cambridge wielding huge influence. In fact, it was estimated by Newsweek in 2012 that the 'Kate Effect' could contribute up to £1 billion to the UK fashion industry each year.
Success stories include a printed dress by Anita Dongre worn during the royal tour of India and Bhutan. After the Duchess was seen in the frock, enormous exposure forced the factory to temporarily halt all production so that it could exclusively make that dress and meet demand, Forbes reported.
The impact that the Issa dress Middleton chose to wear for her engagement photos actually ended up being detrimental to the brand because of how popular it became. The company was forced to grow too rapidly and eventually became financially unsustainable, ending in closure.
'Issa was a niche brand; we had a loyal following, but in 2008 and 2009 we were in serious financial trouble. When Kate wore that dress everything changed,' the designer told Elle.
However, the effect has been more positive for other brands, particularly those on the high street that the Duchess favours, including LK Bennett, Whistles and Reiss.
Of course, Kate is not the only member of her family to pull in sales for fashion companies – and some experts even argue that her children have overtaken her in terms of influence.
Reports in April of this year suggested that Princess Charlotte is worth £3 billion, thanks to the 'Charlotte effect', while Prince George was said to have the greatest style influence of any royal. Nearly 1,500 'Prince George' related items are said to have sold on eBay in the last three months, compared to only 500 for 'Princess Charlotte'.
Whether Markle's influence on the fashion industry will reach the heights of Kate, Charlotte or George remains to be seen, but she has certainly started strong. And one thing is for sure, whatever Markle decides to wear for her engagement shoot this afternoon, it will no doubt be sold out come the evening.
