Meghan Markleis ushering in a new era of royal fashion — with a powerful message.
“The core of our business is about giving opportunity to vulnerable women, and for Meghan to align so closely with that and to expose us to the world, it’s been huge,” Bartle tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue.
Meghan Markle (with Prince Harry) in Outland skinny jeans in Australia in October.Samir Hussein/WireImage
Bartle launched the brand in 2011 after an encounter with the reality of human trafficking on the streets of Thailand. His aim was to start a company where victims of such abuse could learn a new skill set, start afresh and support their families without fear.
“As we came to learn more about the issues, it was very obvious that we needed to combat the root cause, which was poverty,” says Bartle, who not only offers employment to his staff but also personal development initiatives such as teaching English, infant health and self-defense.
A seamstress at Outland Denim.Outland Denim
Afterinitially announcing on Instagramthat he would be hiring 15-30 new seamstresses as a result of increased sales, that figure has continued to grow. Now, three months since the royal tour (where Meghan wore theirHarriet high-rise skinny jeansno less than six times!), 46 families have a brighter future.
“To come from the situation they were in previously to a situation where they are making jeans fit for a princess – that’s a big deal,” says the founder, whose wife, Erica Bartle, also works for the company.
The jeans not only help change lives for the better, but they also help the planet. Using organic cotton, natural vegetable dyes as well as zips made from recycled materials, the company is in the process of developing their own state-of-the-art wash house, reducing their environmental footprint further.
“We have a lot in the pipeline — we are moving into the U.K. this year and slowly moving into the U.S market,” says Bartle.
As for the jeans, they are still on pre-order, with delivery not expected until April. “Some people have waited six months or longer for these jeans,” he says. “I had one lady call up and she was buying everything Meghan had worn!”
Seamstresses at Outland Denim in Cambodia.Outland Denim
And despite the numerous re-wears, Bartle insists that Meghan only has one pair of their jeans. “We spent a long time focusing on fabric composition — they have incredible recovery, so they don’t go baggy on the knees. They keep their shape and we hope that showed!”
While Bartle is yet to be in touch with Meghan directly (the jeans were supplied through a third-party), he says he hopes she is aware of the difference she is making to brands like his: “She is absolutely making a conscious decision with the products she is wearing. I want nothing more than to give her a hug and say thank you, not just from the women here today but for the women of the future.”
source: people.com
