In the fall of 2015, Canadian Retailer Reitmans welcomed Meghan Markle as their brand ambassador in an attempt to re-energize the brand.
In an interview for Tribute.ca, Meghan expressed her excitement at being a part of the brand.
“Being born and raised in L.A., I wasn’t familiar with the brand but what I loved is what they’re trying to do – they’re a family-owned business for 90 years and it’s time for a bit of re-energizing. They’ll still have all the classics but a little bit hipper, a little bit more chic – pieces that are a bit more trend-driven. I love the idea of being a part of something like that. I felt really honored that they asked me to be the face of this campaign.”
Not long after becoming an ambassador of the brand, Reitmans approached Meghan and asked her to design a capsule collection of dresses.
In a post on her lifestyle blog, The Tig, Meghan describes her inspiration and what she wanted her collection to include:
I conceived the dress capsule as four distinct pieces that you could have in your closet, or throw in your suitcase and be confident and covered for any event this spring. I toiled over design and print, I shared my thoughts on everything (come on guys, you know I’m opinionated), and I ended up with a limited collection of pieces that reflect facets of my personal style that I think (hope, pray, hold-my-breath-and-wait-for-the-comments-on-Insta), that you’ll love.
The first dress in the collection was “clearly inspired by Rachel Zane” (her Suits character). The Soirée, which originally retailed at $85 CAD, was described as “elegant and feminine” with a “silhouette-conscious bodice…styled with cold-shoulder cut-outs.” This “little black number” was designed to “ensure every night’s a bit of an adventure.”
The Sunset is a dress that reminds Meghan of “everything about growing up in La-La Land (I don’t think she meant the movie).” The printed maxi dress featured a “dramatic flowing shape complimented by a stylish open back detail” and promised to add “undeniable style to your days and nights!” It retailed for $95 CAD.
The Date Night, which makes Meghan feel “fashion-y and Frenchie,” featured and “elegant halter top, bare shoulders, and bold, rich color (red dahlia)” for a unique style. The $80 CAD dress was described as “irresistibly soft and flirty so you can go with the flow no matter what the plans are.”
The Terrace was billed as the “dress that will replace your LBD – because you need the perfect: Little. White. Dress.” Costing $90 CAD, the sleeveless dress was styled with a “v-neckline, a fitted top, and an asymmetric skirt,” perfect for “a cocktail here, there, and everywhere.
In a story for the May 2016 issue of Best Health Magazine, Meghan said, “I’m really excited. It’s the first time I’ve ever designed and we’re launching with a dress collection of four signature, staple dresses. I’ve been involved in every facet of the design process, so it’s really personal.” In another interview for The Globe and Mail Meghan added, “It’s a huge moment especially because I feel like I’ve adopted Canada as much as it’s adopted me in the past five years.”
Meghan’s dress collection became available on April 27, 2016 and was a “virtual first-day sell-out.” It’s not hard to see why!
Stay tuned for next week when Laura will explore Meghan’s Reitmans Fall/Winter 2016 Capsule Collection in Part II!
She definitely has a good eye. Love most of the pieces.
They were at such an affordable price point too – some of these might be collectibles one day!
In America most department stores sell plain white shirts, black slacks, and dark blazers. What was the point of this collection? I am sure some department store in the UK could find the same type of plain clothing.
Why not have any department store donate clothes? Was it really necessary to “design” these clothes, And the idea of a two week cut off for the donations is just silly.