It’s been almost a year since Meghan Markle fumbled the launch of her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard, but despite there being nothing but radio silence since March, the Duchess of Sussex hasn’t given up on her brand yet.
Posting to Instagram, Markle teased the new and improved business, which would now be operating under the name “As Ever,” which means “as it’s always been,” which Meghan explains in her video. She also explains what prompted the name change, claiming that “it limited me to things that were just manufactured and grown in this area.” The old name is a nickname for the area she lives in.
Markle briefly mentioned her upcoming Netflix series, which saw its release pushed back to March in the wake of the LA wildfires. She revealed that Netflix was not just a partner for the show but for her business as well. She then went on to say she had been waiting for a moment to share the new name, which she secured in 2022.
Meghan’s new and improved brand looks to be expanding the scope compared to what she originally planned. “Cooking and crafting and gardening, this is what I do, and I haven’t been able to share it with you in the same way for the past few years, but now I can,” she said in the video. She did confirm that she would still be selling jam of course, saying, “I think we’re all clear at this point that jam is my jam.”
Why the name change?
Initially there was a decent amount of buzz surrounding Markle’s lifestyle brand; however, it soon fizzled out as it became clear the duchess had rushed to unveil her new venture before it was ready. Allegedly, a royal correspondent for the Daily Mail was planning to do a story on the business and Meghan wanted to reveal it before they could run their story. As a result, the whole thing was announced prematurely, meaning there were no products. The website promised big things but never delivered. Until recently, the empty greeting page sat as empty as the day it was launched.
So perhaps rebooting the whole thing now that she’s ready is a smart business move, but that’s not the only reason Markle is changing the name. According to an article from The Standard, the trademark application for “American Riviera Orchard” was rejected back in March of last year, which could explain why Markle has done nothing with her brand since then.
This rebrand gives Meghan a second chance to truly show every one of her doubters that she can run a successful business. Due to the connection with Netflix, we might see Markle make a hard push for her new brand when her show drops on March 4 and all eyes are on her. Of course, there will be plenty of detractors waiting to see Markle fail the same as ever, (see what I did there).
Published: Feb 18, 2025 01:42 pm