The Duchess of Sussex has revealed her candid thoughts on the initial name for her lifestyle venture, American Riviera Orchard, calling it a “word salad.”
In the latest episode of her podcast, Confessions Of A Female Founder, Meghan admitted, “I didn’t love that so much,” explaining how trademark issues ultimately led to a name change.
The Duchess ran into legal hurdles when the US Patent and Trademark Office clarified that geographical locations could not be trademarked. This prompted a rebranding, and her business eventually became known as As Ever.
Reflecting on the transition, Meghan described the period before the As Ever launch as “really just helpful to have that quiet period… when no-one was sniffing around.” This allowed her to refine her vision without external pressures.
The podcast episode featured a conversation with Kadi Lee, Meghan’s hair colourist and co-founder of the hair wellness brand Highbrow Hippie. Reports indicate that the Duchess invested in Highbrow Hippie last year, solidifying their professional and personal connection.
The former Suits actress said: “I had secured As Ever as a name in 2022, and then, as everything started to evolve last year, and bringing in a partner the size that it was, it was just so interesting.
“You remember, I said ‘I like American Riviera as an umbrella’, and then be able to have verticals beneath it.
“And maybe have the Orchard really small. But when that’s not feasible … suddenly it became this word salad. I didn’t love that so much.
“I was like ‘OK, let’s go back to the thing that I’ve always loved. Let’s use the name that I protected for a reason that had sort of been under wraps’.
“And then we were able to focus in the quiet and put our heads down and build on something that no-one was sniffing around to even see about.
“It was really just helpful to have that quiet period.”
Meghan greeted Lee by saying: “Disregard the state of my hair right now. I’m so excited I’m seeing you next week. I should have a baseball cap on.”
The duchess said the pair met in 2020 – the year of Megxit when Meghan and the Duke of Sussex quit the working monarchy for a new life in the US – and told of her attempts to dye her own hair at home during the pandemic.
Meghan said: “It was 2020 – it was very much 2020.”
She added: “My family had just moved to California. We were staying in our friend’s home and, because it was the pandemic, I kept ordering boxed hair dye, and I thought I’m gonna look just like she does on the box.
“And instead it was this very inky, almost Elvira-esque black hair.”
Lee, who was called in at the time to help Meghan with her hair, said: “I remember meeting you guys, and you were so warm and both you and H wrapped us up in these big bear hugs and I was like ‘I don’t even know these people and I’m not a hugger but let’s do it’.”
Reflecting on having to close her hair salon during the pandemic, Lee added: “It felt like such whiplash and it felt like, gosh we cannot get a break, you know?”
Meghan laughed and added: “Oh, I understand.”