Meghan Markle’s new brand name As Ever and its new logo featuring palm trees and hummingbirds has certainly ruffled feathers – especially with officials in one town on the Spanish island of Majorca and a small US business
It has been just over 24 hours since Meghan Markle revealed the bombshell news about her lifestyle brand.
Taking to Instagram, she announced that she was axing its previous name American Riviera Orchard in favour of new moniker, As Ever. But it’s not just her U-turn that has raised eyebrows, as her new logo on her newly-launched website, which features Princess Lilibet, has also ruffled feathers as has the name, which it has emerged is shared by an independent clothing brand.
The logo features a palm tree, which is understood to be a nod to Prince Harry and Meghan’s home in California, as well as two hummingbirds, which are thought to be a favourite of the Duke of Sussex.
However, fury has broken out as the Mayoress of Porreres, a town on the Spanish island of Majorca, claims the branding is strikingly similar their coat of arms. To add to Meghan’s brand headache, now the mayor of the town, Xisca Mora has gone as far as saying the logo is a “complete copy”. And not just that – now a small New York-based clothing firm called As Ever NYC has waded into the row, breaking its silence on the name – which one fan joked was “royally scandalous”.
‘Rushed job’
When it came to securing a trademark for her lifestyle brand under its previous name American Riviera Orchard, Meghan came up against a series of legal hurdles. And it could explain why she has made the switch to As Ever.
Meghan reveals her new brand name, As Ever (
Image:
@Meghan/Instagram)
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Meghan revealed the change on Instagram (
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Meghan/Instagram)
However, in her video, she does not address her legal setbacks and excitedly said: “Last year, I thought you know what, American Riviera, that sounds like such a great name, it’s my neighbourhood [and] its a name for Santa Barbara. But it limited me to things that were just manufactured and grown in this area.
“Then Netflix came on, not just as my partner in the show, but as my partner in my business. Which was huge. 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.”
But the move left several PR experts baffled with one saying it appeared the brand had been “rushed out”. Warren Johnson of W Communications, told the Daily Beast: “You wouldn’t catch Kim Kardashian doing this.” While another expert told the outlet: “There are only so many relaunches you can do before you start to look ridiculous.”
However, on the flip side, other brand experts have called the rebrand a “strategic move”, especially with the challenges she faced getting a trademark for American Riviera Orchard. Personal branding expert Mayah Riaz, of Mayah Media, told the Mirror: “While rebranding close to launch can be risky, addressing potential legal issues early on can prevent significant issues that may arise. The new name, ‘As Ever’, offers a broader appeal beyond a specific geographic reference – this aligns well with Meghan’s lifestyle themes.
“Meghan choosing to announce the change via her Instagram is a savvy approach, as she is leveraging her following to communicate directly with them. However, any rebrand carries the potential for confusion. It will be crucial for Meghan to offer clear and consistent messaging to ensure her audience seamlessly transitions to the new brand.”
Spanish slap down
However, things took a new twist when the new logo for As Ever was compared to that of the Porreres coat of arms, which also features a palm tree and two birds.
Mayoress Ms Mora told Spanish publication El Pais that the town’s heraldic coat of arms dates back to 1370 and its reproduction is “part of the idiosyncrasy of Porreres, of its heritage and cultural identity”.
The new logo for As Ever (
Image:
As Ever)
The coat of arms for the town of Porreres (
Image:
Supplied)She admitted they are not in a position to sue for plagiarism but said they are calling for the logo to be removed. The Mirror understands that as part of the process of creating the logo, Meghan’s team undertook “comprehensive” global searches of registered trademarks were conducted.
Ms Mor said: “To sue for plagiarism is complicated and costly, and a small town council like ours is not in a position to fight against the English crown. “At first, we took it as a bit of a joke because we didn’t really understand where it had come from and what their objective was in copying our coat of arms,” she explained to Vanitatis.
Meanwhile, the mayoress also pointed out another similarity as Meghan’s brand is known to be offering jam – and the preserve is also a popular product of the town. Ms Mora said that Porreres has “the best jam in the world” and quipped “the farmers will be happy” if Meghan wants to market it. A spokesperson for Meghan has been approached for comment.
Breaking silence
After her brand announcement yesterday, today Meghan ramped up promotion for As Ever by renaming her American Riviera Orchard Instagram account and sharing a new post. It features the Duchess drizzling honey over a croissant.
But it’s not just the Majorcan town that has spoken out against the rebrand, small, independent clothing brand As Ever NYC took to Instagram to address the similarities in the names of the two firms.
A new image posted to Meghan’s As Ever Instagram page
Designer Mark Kolski wrote in a post on Instagram: “I want to say thank you to all the old friends who know and love our small family brand As Ever, and also say hi to all those that have just become aware we exist. 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.”
The designer then explained how the brand dates back to 2015 when it started as a side hobby for him and his wife. He said that it first started manufacturing its clothes in 2017 and added: “It’s 2025. We are grateful to still be here making clothing in New York & New Jersey. We are grateful for all the customers coast to coast and worldwide that have supported our venture. We will continue As Ever.”
It comes after a trademark application filed in February last year shows the company wishes to offer downloadable and printed recipe books, tableware, textiles, and jams and marmalades, and the duchess said she secured the new name in 2022.
In what many have seen as a dig at the Royal Family, Meghan explained: “As Ever essentially means as it’s always been, and if you’ve followed me since 2014 with The Tig, you know, I’ve always loved cooking and crafting and gardening.” She added: “This is what I do, and I have’’t been able to share it with you in the same way for the past few years but now I can.”
Before marrying into the royal family she closed down her lifestyle website called The Tig, which she had used as a platform to discuss social issues such as gender equality in addition to articles on travel, food and fashion.
