Why Meghan Markle just changed the name of her lifestyle brand
Meghan Markle has changed the name of her lifestyle brand from American Riviera Orchard to As Ever.
She announced the news on her official Instagram account on Feb. 18. “Cat’s out of the bag. I’m shocked we’ve kept this a secret for so long,” she said.
The Duchess of Sussex explained that the name of the business, first unveiled in March 2024, “limited” her.
“Last year, I had thought that American Riviera sounds like such a great name. It’s my neighborhood. It’s a nickname for Santa Barbara, but it limited me to things that were just manufactured and grown in this area,” she said.
Meghan’s announcement comes two weeks before the release of her new Netflix show, “With Love, Meghan,” which was rescheduled amid the California wildfires.
“Then Netflix came on, not just as my partner in the show, but as my partner in my business, which was huge. I thought about it, and I’ve been waiting for a moment to share a name that I had secured in 2022 and this is the moment! And it’s called As Ever,” Meghan continued.
She explained that As Ever “essentially means as it’s always been” and it pays homage to her former lifestyle blog, “The Tig,” which she shut down in April 2017, months before she and Prince Harry announced their engagement.
“If you followed me since 2014 with The TIG, you know I’ve always loved cooking and crafting and gardening,” she said. “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. So as things as starting to trickle out there, I wanted you to hear it from me first.”
The website for the new business includes a never-before-seen photo of Meghan and her daughter, Lilibet, walking outside in an idyllic green field.
In March 2024, Meghan filed a trademark application extension for her lifestyle brand.
The trademark indicated Meghan will be getting involved with home goods, including tableware, kitchen linens, tablecloths, beverage ware, coffee and tea services and more, as well as perishables like jellies, jams, marmalades, fruit preserves and a variety of spreads and butters.
Additionally, she planned to include items like body soap, body oil, cosmetics and pet shampoo in her brand as well.
A month later, in April, Meghan sent samples of her strawberry jam to people like Chrissy Teigen.
“Of course there will be fruit preserves. I think it’s pretty clear by now that jam is my jam,” she said in the new video.
