Meghan Markle’s brand, As Ever, faces identity crisis ahead of relaunch

Meghan Markle arrives at the Paley Honors Fall Gala on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Well, 2025 is certainly turning out to be the year of the Duchess of Sussex. After Meghan Markle returned to Instagram on Jan. 1, her two million Instagram followers have been treated to behind-the-scenes snippets from the Invictus Games, sweet tributes to her husband Prince Harry and glimpses of Archie and Lilibet.

The latest announcement is the launch of her lifestyle brand, now styled as As Ever. Meghan said, “I’m thrilled to introduce you to ‘As Ever’ — a brand that I created and have poured my heart into. ‘As Ever’ means ‘as it’s always been’ or some even say ‘in the same way as always’.

She called her brand an extension of her “love language” -- weaving together things she cherishes including “food, gardening, entertaining, thoughtful living, and finding joy in the everyday.”

Meghan went on to explain that the previous name, American Riviera Orchard, didn’t quite work for the brand (I have to agree – it was certainly a mouthful), and now she would be moving forward with As Ever and that Netflix would partner with the brand along with the series, “With Love, Meghan,” which drops on March 4.

“Netflix came on, not just as my partner in the show, but as my partner in my business, which was huge,” Meghan explained. The Netflix series was originally set for Jan. 15 but faced delays due to Los Angeles wildfires. The show combines cooking, gardening, and lifestyle content that features conversations with Meghan’s friends. Both the Netflix series and As Ever share the March 4 launch date. This joint debut reveals a smart plan to encourage engagement to maximize exposure between Meghan’s TV presence and her lifestyle brand.

Royal commentator and co-host of the Royal Dress Code podcast, Christine Ross, thinks so, too. “The change of name aligns so much better with Meghan’s upcoming Netflix series, and the updated branding explains why we haven’t seen more from the American Riviera Orchard space,” she said. “It feels like Meghan and her team have taken the time to think through this massive brand launch and made the right choices for longevity of the brand. I think we can expect to see a comprehensive home and kitchen brand, with room to grow and evolve as Meghan’s projects grow and evolve.”

Trademark issues

But it seems Meghan’s brand launch is facing multiple challenges before its market debut. Further investigation reveals the brand name changed from American Riviera Orchard to As Ever due to trademark issues with her original brand name. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office turned down her application for American Riviera Orchard in September 2024, saying they didn’t approve the name because of problems with geographical locations and product categories. The lifestyle brand plans to launch in just a few weeks, but an existing clothing company has already used the same name since 2017.

Mark Kolski, the owner of New York clothing brand, As Ever, has raised red flags about Meghan using the same name. His vintage clothing company started as a hobby in 2015 and now specializes in redesigned military clothing. Kolski shared his thoughts on Instagram in a Feb. 18 post: “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 doesn’t have a registered trademark for As Ever, but he still has common law rights to sell clothes under that name. He’s now “learning about all possibilities” and talking to lawyers to protect his business. It’s worth noting however, that Meghan’s brand As Ever doesn’t plan to sell clothes, sticking to lifestyle products.

The problems don’t stop there. The Spanish mayor of Porreres, a Mallorcan town, spotted “undeniable” similarities between Markle’s brand logo and their town’s historic coat of arms from 1370. Mayor Xisca Mora has asked for As Ever’s logo removal, calling it “an exact copy” of their town’s emblem. Town officials said they were shocked when they first found the resemblance.

“All jokes aside, we really want them to change the logo because our coat of arms is very special to our culture,” Mora told The Daily Mail. The emblem stands carved into the town’s many buildings. “Every single town in Mallorca has its own symbol or coat of arms, and it is very important to our identity,” Mora explained, adding that residents are worried about their symbol being used to market products worldwide.

Brand and culture strategist Nick Ede told me, “Meghan and Netflix have a major headache ahead of the launch of With Love Meghan and her brand As Ever.” He said the accusations surrounding both the name and logo are causing an “unnecessary headache for them all. What should have been a clean rebrand has now made them look rather incompetent.”

A source close to Meghan’s team made it clear to me that As Ever will stick to lifestyle products and stay away from clothing. The Duchess’s team said it ran detailed global searches of registered trademarks before they switched to the new name. Her representative defended their design choice, explaining that the palm tree symbolizes their California home, and the hummingbirds carry special meaning for Prince Harry.

Meanwhile, the Sussex business empire stands at a crossroads, raising the stakes for As Ever’s success. Trademark issues have pushed them to take a fresh look at their ventures and their legal team needs more time to sort out application problems, which suggests ongoing challenges.

Netflix stands out as a major player in As Ever’s future. The streaming company will display Meghan’s products at their Philadelphia and Dallas retail stores. “Netflix will have wanted all eyes on the aspiration of Meghan and her brand not the fact that it’s been touted as a copy,” Ede said. “The upside of this is that everyone once again is talking about her, she’s reached two million followers and all eyes whether you like her or not will be on the launch of her show. What we do not know is if that will convert to sales. She may be the ultimate influencer up there with the Kardashians but will that influence sell jam and spoons?”

Meghan’s As Ever brand launch is certainly facing a few hiccups, the complications coming at a vital moment for Harry and Meghan’s financial future. The resolution of these legal and branding challenges will shape their business path through 2025 and beyond. The ambitious lifestyle venture has become a test of brand resilience and the coming months will show if the Duchess can direct these obstacles while pursuing her vision for As Ever.

Although she may not be popular with everyone, Meghan has a loyal band of followers that are excited for her new ventures as she continues leaning into the things she is passionate about and, of course, the March 4 Netflix premiere. It will be a pivotal moment for the Sussexes and their brand’s future.