As royal wedding nears, brands benefit from ‘Meghan effect’
LONDON — Canadian fashion designer Bojana Sentaler stared at her television on Christmas Day to see if Meghan Markle had a gift for her.
She did. As Prince Harry’s future bride left a church service on the grounds of Queen Elizabeth II’s private country estate, Sentaler spotted a cuff detail on Markle’s camel alpaca coat that told her customers would be flocking to her website.
“I was looking for the ribbed sleeves, hoping it was a Sentaler coat,” said the designer, who met Markle when she was a mere TV star. “And as soon as I saw that, I was so happy and so excited and it was the best Christmas present I could ever wish for.”
The Meghan magic was almost instantaneous; Markle’s coat sold out, as Sentaler expected, and the publicity fueled sales of other designs. Now part of an elite circle of entrepreneurs tapped with the monarchy’s golden touch, the designer plans a boutique in London, though no firm dates are set.