We are back on the Meghan Markle beat — and no, this time, we are not writing about her Jewish mom BFF, stylist Jessica Mulroney.
Rather, we’re here to talk about the Duchess of Sussex’s latest, greatest endeavor: A launch of a five-piece “capsule collection” to help disadvantaged women feel empowered with their clothes.
Here’s the scoop: Markle is patron of a U.K-based organization, Smart Works, which provides unemployed women with free professional clothes and job interview training.
Back in January, Markle suggested creating a capsule collection of workwear. She realized that while Smart Works has no shortage of donations — including clothing from her own closet — something they lack are solid staples. And so, Markle teamed up with four affordable fashion brands to bring the collection of basics to life: John Lewis & Partners, Marks & Spencer, Jigsaw, and Jewish designer Misha Nonoo.
We’re here to talk Nonoo, obviously, who has a long history with the actress turned royal.
When Meghan and Prince Harry went public with their relationship way back in 2016, Meghan wore a shirt by Misha Nonoo called “The Husband Shirt” that retails for $185.
It’s a nice shirt, but who is Nonoo? She is a Jewish British-Iraqi designer in her early 30s. She was born in Bahrain, an Arab state on the Persian Gulf, where she lived until her family moved to London when she was 11. (Her dad’s family, the Nonoos, are super prominent in Bahrain; the Jewish community’s unofficial leader there is Abraham David Nonoo.)
Nonoo and Meghan have been friends for a while — as Nonoo told the Evening Standard about Markle, “I love her to death. She is the coolest girl in the world.” Nonoo, obvs, attended the royal wedding, as well as Meghan’s NYC baby shower.
And it looks like Meghan may be Nonoo’s wedding guest in the near future: Earlier this year, Nonoo announced her engagement to Mike Hess, a son of an oil magnate, who is also really good pals with Josh Kushner and Karlie Kloss (cue “It’s a Small World After All”).
So, back to the Duchess’s five-piece fashion line. It only makes sense that Markle would turn to her talented designer friend for this launch, right? Nonoo’s contribution to The Smart Set: An updated version of her famous “Husband Shirt” — yes, the one Meghan wore on her first public date with Prince Harry — that retails for $125.
Here’s the shirt:
“Thinking about the essential pieces you need in your wardrobe, it makes sense that the foundation of a wardrobe should be black and white; for example, the classic white shirt and well-fitting black pants,” Nonoo said. “Empowering women has always been my goal as a designer, and I was thrilled our brand could support so many women’s professional pursuits in this special partnership.”
All five pieces in the collection are sold on a one-to-one basis, meaning, for each item purchased, the same item is donated to Smart Works, to be worn by a woman in need.
At the much publicized launch of The Smart Set on Sept. 12, Meghan spoke about the impact she is trying to make.
“When I first came to the U.K., it was incredibly important for me personally to be able to connect with people on the ground doing really important work, and one of the places I went to very early on was Smart Works,” she said. “It’s about women who are empowering each other, me being able to have the opportunity to meet them, get to know them, learn from them, and then say, what can I do in some small way?”
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex launches the Smart Works capsule collection wearing a Misha Nonoo shirt on September 12, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Here’s Meghan speaking at the launch:
Looking good and doing good for other women? This is something we can totally get behind! Mazel tov, Meghan, Misha, and everyone else involved!
Image of Meghan Markle & Misha Nonoo in header by Andrew Toth/Getty Images and of Meghan Markle by Samir Hussein/WireImage.
