For now, it looks like Meghan Markle will have to focus on selling her signature products.
As reported by DailyMail.com, Markle’s plans to launch a clothing line under her new “As Ever” brand have hit a snag. The issue? The name bears too much resemblance to an already established Chinese clothing company, blocking her from moving forward in that direction.
Legal filings reveal that her legal team filed a request with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) back in October 2022, aiming to trademark “As Ever” for various items, including aprons. However, it appears she won’t be able to expand into apparel just yet.
However, their trademark application faced a “partial rejection” in July 2023, ruling that the Duchess of Sussex could not sell clothing under that name due to its close resemblance to the Chinese brand ASEVER.
ASEVER, a Shenzhen-based company, supplies products to major retailers like H&M.
“The marks are identical in sound and virtually identical in appearance and are thus confusingly similar for the purposes of determining likelihood of confusion,” the rejection notice stated.
In January 2024, before submitting a revised application, Markle removed any references to clothing—an update that eventually led to its approval.
While she isn’t completely restricted from selling apparel, she would need to register under a different brand name if she intends to do so.
On February 18, Markle revealed that she was rebranding her American Riviera Orchard line, officially renaming it “As Ever.”
After acknowledging that a series of trademark challenges had forced her to make the change, she shared in an Instagram video, “Last year, I had thought, ‘You know what? American Riviera, that 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.”
While discussing her upcoming Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, she revealed that she ultimately chose the new name after the streaming platform became more than just a collaborator on the show. “They came on, not just as my partner in the show but as my partner in business, which was huge.”
She went on to say, “So 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.”
At 43, Markle first introduced her lifestyle brand in April 2024, kicking things off with the launch of her strawberry jam.
However, just days after revamping the brand last week, she encountered multiple setbacks—including allegations of plagiarism from Xisca Mora, the mayor of Porreres, a small town in Mallorca.
Mora claimed she was considering taking legal action against Markle, accusing her of copying the town’s coat of arms for the As Ever brand logo.
The official emblem of Porreres includes a central palm tree with two birds flying toward it—a design strikingly similar to the logo crafted for Markle’s brand.
Mora eventually had to concede that even if they had intentions of taking legal action against Markle, the financial burden would be too much for them to handle.
Earlier this month, Markle faced backlash once again—this time from the owner of a small, family-run clothing brand in New York City, also called “As Ever.” The business expressed that they were actively considering their options regarding the name similarity.
After expressing gratitude to their loyal customers, Mark Kolski made it clear that his brand had no connection to Markle’s venture.
“This venture started back in 2015 when I reworked vintage military to make our signature tanker pant for my wife, Astrid Dahl as a side hobby. It was followed by a pink jumpsuit that quickly became a cult classic,” he shared in an Instagram post.
Kolski shared that his company was officially established in 2017, and he feels grateful to still be producing clothing in New York and New Jersey today.
That said, he acknowledged that he never secured the trademark for his brand’s name.
“With Love, Meghan” premieres on Netflix on March 4.