Meghan Markle becomes investor in bag brand Cesta Collective after boosting sales

Meghan Markle is elevating her passion for fashion to a new level.

In a New York Times interview published Wednesday, the 43-year-old Duchess of Sussex revealed that she recently became an investor in Cesta Collective, a handbag brand with a mission that she has worn several times over the past few years.

She mentioned, “I spend a lot of time just Googling, looking for brands.”

Markle explained that when people are browsing online, she is actively searching for great new designers, particularly in different regions.

Cesta Collective’s signature basket bags are handcrafted by women in Rwanda, who are paid 500-700% above the national average salary, according to the brand’s website, and then the bags are finished in Italy.

Courtesy: TMZ, WireImage

Markle first carried the company’s drawstring Bucket Bag ($790) during a dinner date in May 2023 with her husband Prince Harry and friends Gwyneth Paltrow and Cameron Diaz at Sushi Bar in Santa Barbara. The bag quickly sold out.

“We had more sales in one day than we’ve ever had,” Cesta Collective co-founder Erin Ryder told the Times. She and her partner, Courtney Weinblatt Fasciano, reached out to Markle to express their gratitude, and this year, Markle became the brand’s first external investor.

Markle also discussed her fashion influence in the interview, recalling how after she carried a Strathberry Midi Tote ($845) at a 2017 public event, it similarly sold out in just 11 minutes.

That moment “changed everything in terms of how I then looked at putting an outfit together,” she said.

Markle noted that during times when she knows she’ll be in the global spotlight, she makes a point to support designers she has strong relationships with, as well as smaller, emerging brands that haven’t received the recognition they deserve. She emphasized that one of the most impactful things she can do is simply wear an item, such as a pair of earrings.