Meghan Markle faces backlash after announcing her new lifestyle brand, As Ever, which shares the same name as an existing clothing brand based in New York City. The controversy began when Markle unveiled her new venture on social media, describing it as “an extension of what has always been my love language, beautifully weaving together everything I cherish — food, gardening, entertaining, thoughtful living, and finding joy in the everyday.”
Meghan rebrands her lifestyle company and shares rare new image of daughter Lilibet.
Goodbye ‘American Riviera Orchard’ and hello ‘As Ever’. The Duchess also says Netflix is now her business partner – not just her TV series partner ???? https://t.co/aCo5VPxgjE— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) February 18, 2025
However, the New York-based clothing brand As Ever, which has been operating since 2017, quickly addressed the issue on its Instagram account. Co-founder Mark Kolski wrote, “I want to say thank you to all the old friends who know and love our small family brand As Ever, and also say hi to all those that have just become aware we exist. In the last 36 hours, there has been an outpouring of support and concern regarding recent events around our namesake brand. We are aware. We are not affiliated.”
Kolski later revealed that he learned about Markle’s new venture through a friend and is seeking legal advice.
Meghan Markle turns her back on lifestyle-brand name 'American Riviera Orchard' after her application to trademark the name was refused by the US trademark office.https://t.co/BVeaDyg4uC
— Cameron Walker (@CameronDLWalker) February 18, 2025
Social media users have criticized Markle for using the same name as the existing brand. One user wrote, “‘As Ever’ is also fairly well known to fashionistas in New York City. Meghan Markle stole their name! She never did a business search?” Another added, “Meghan Markle took the same name as an already trademarked established clothing store…As Ever. They didn’t steal her brand. She tried to snatch theirs.”
As Ever has not yet been successfully trademarked by the Duchess, with the application showing as “accepted” on the US office but “not yet assigned to an examiner”.
Meghan's new 'As Ever' venture in row with clothing brand of same name https://t.co/p5uUbasMHR
— Patricia Treble (@PatriciaTreble) February 19, 2025
Markle’s brand name controversy escalates
The controversy comes as Markle prepares to launch her new series, “With Love, Meghan,” set to premiere on March 4, 2025.
In addition to the naming dispute, Markle’s As Ever logo has been slammed for resembling the Spanish coat of arms of the Mallorcan town of Porreres. Mayor Xisca Mora has claimed that the logo is “an exact copy” of the town’s historic emblem and is considering legal action. The As Ever logo features a black and white palm tree flanked by two hummingbirds, which closely resembles Porreres’ coat of arms, dating back to 1370.
Branding expert Doug Eldridge described the situation as “a comedy of errors” entirely self-inflicted by Markle’s team. In contrast, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams called it “hilarious” and suggested any potential lawsuit could lead to further embarrassment. Mayor Mora expressed her disbelief at the resemblance and called for As Ever to change its logo, emphasizing the importance of the town’s historic symbols to its identity. Residents are upset that their coat of arms is being used to sell products globally.
The ongoing scrutiny over the logo further complicates the public relations landscape for the Duchess of Sussex’s new brand, which aims to present a refined and timeless image. As Markle navigates the competitive celebrity lifestyle space, she faces the challenge of filling thin material with personal significance and controlling the narrative surrounding her ventures.
