Meghan Markle\u2019s lifestyle label, As Ever, has quietly submitted a fresh trademark application in Australia\u2014an unmistakable signal that the Duchess of Sussex is scouting for growth well beyond American shores. The paperwork, lodged only weeks before she and Prince Harry\u2019s planned tour of Australia, has reignited debate over whether the brand is simply expanding or being pushed to pivot after losing a key backer.<\/p>\n
According to documents reviewed by InfluencersWiki<\/em>, the Australian filing covers everything from wellness products to homewares\u2014an identical scope to the U.S. registration. Celebrity publicist Kayley Cornelius, who advises high-profile clients on brand roll-outs, calls the timing \u201cdeliberate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFiling in Australia right before a high-profile visit is classic brand choreography,\u201d Cornelius told Page Six<\/em>. \u201cBut it also suggests the U.S. numbers aren\u2019t where they need to be. When your domestic market stalls, you look for oxygen elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n Netflix\u2019s recent decision to drop As Ever from its slate of endorsed partnerships has only amplified speculation. The streaming giant, which once floated the idea of a companion docu-series, reportedly walked away after internal forecasts failed to project meaningful merchandise tie-ins. Without that promotional engine, Markle\u2019s team appears to be treating Australia as a soft relaunch pad.<\/p>\n Trademark attorneys stress that a foreign filing is not the same as a store opening, but it does secure naming rights and prevents copy-cat labels from beating her to market. The Australian application lists:<\/p>\n Securing these classes gives Markle a 10-year monopoly in Australia, renewable indefinitely so long as the mark is actively used. Translation: even if As Ever pop-ups don\u2019t appear this year, no competitor can legally launch a similarly named brand in those categories.<\/p>\n Since its soft debut in late 2023, As Ever has dropped limited capsule collections\u2014think rose-hip facial oil and linen table runners\u2014mostly through Instagram flash sales. While the products sold out quickly, the brand has yet to secure shelf space in major retailers such as Target or Sephora, a milestone most lifestyle startups chase within 18 months.<\/p>\n \u201cThe U.S. influencer space is saturated,\u201d Cornelius notes. \u201cConsumers want either celebrity glamour or deep discounts, and As Ever is priced in the awkward middle.\u201d A $48 dish towel may feel aspirational in Los Angeles, but it competes with similar sustainable labels already stocked at Anthropologie and Nordstrom.<\/p>\n Compounding the challenge, Meghan and Harry\u2019s overall media visibility in the United States has dipped. The couple\u2019s 2023 Netflix docuseries drew solid ratings, but follow-up projects have been slow to materialize. Without fresh content fueling search traffic, direct-to-consumer sales plateau.<\/p>\n Market research firm Roy Morgan places Australia\u2019s wellness economy at roughly $AU 6 billion annually, with eco-conscious millennials driving a 12 percent year-over-year uptick. Sydney-based brand strategist Lucy Huang says the Duchess\u2019s ethos of \u201cconscious luxury\u201d aligns neatly with Aussie shoppers who routinely pay premiums for organic cotton and reef-safe sunscreen.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re seeing U.S. brands launch here first because the media landscape is smaller and easier to dominate,\u201d Huang explains. \u201cA single morning show appearance can move product nationwide.\u201d<\/p>\n Add favorable exchange rates and lower fulfillment costs from Southeast Asian factories, and Australia becomes a logical testing ground for global expansion.<\/p>\n Insiders predict a soft launch timed to the couple\u2019s Invictus Games engagements in Sydney. Possible scenarios include:<\/p>\n Whatever the plan, the trademark clock is ticking. Australian law requires proof of commercial use within three years, or the mark becomes vulnerable to cancellation.<\/p>\n Meghan Markle\u2019s Australian trademark play is equal parts expansion and insurance policy. With Netflix no longer amplifying the brand stateside, securing intellectual property abroad buys time and bargaining power. Whether As Ever becomes a household name or remains a celebrity side hustle will depend less on royal star power and more on retail fundamentals: price, placement and persistent consumer buzz.<\/p>\n Does filing in Australia mean As Ever products will be sold there soon?<\/strong> Why did Netflix back out?<\/strong>What the Trademark Actually Protects<\/h2>\n
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Is the U.S. Market Stalling?<\/h2>\n
Why Australia Looks Attractive<\/h2>\n
What Happens Next<\/h2>\n
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Bottom Line<\/h2>\n
FAQ<\/h2>\n
Not necessarily. The filing reserves naming rights, but Markle\u2019s team could wait years before shipping inventory.<\/p>\n
While neither side has disclosed terms, sources say projected merchandise revenue failed to offset production costs the streamer would have<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Meghan Markle\u2019s lifestyle label, As Ever, has quietly submitted a fresh trademark application in Australia\u2014an unmistakable signal that the Duchess of Sussex is scouting for growth well beyond American shores. The paperwork, lodged only weeks before she and Prince Harry\u2019s planned tour of Australia,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3516,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8137"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8137\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3516"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}