On 8 May, Meghan Markle stepped out with Prince Harry to introduce royal baby Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor to the world. And, inevitably, the world collectively responded with suitably enamoured ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’.

However, once we had our Archie-fix, our attention quickly moved onto The Duchess of Sussex’s outfit for the occasion. We have become accustomed to a wealth of style from the royal, who makes a considered fashion statement with every look she takes on. And her choice of a clean white tailored trench dress for the official royal pictures was no different.  

Instead of opting for her favoured big brands like Givenchy or Oscar de la Renta for this incredible moment, Meghan opted to support and highlight a younger and lesser-known British talent: Wales Bonner. The designer who, similarly to Megan, also has dual heritage (her father is Jamaican and her mother is English) has been a ‘one to watch’ for industry insiders for quite some time, but could this be her big break into the mainstream? 

Here’s the 411 on the designer:

Wales Bonner, founded by designer and creative director Grace Wales Bonner, is a London-based brand and one of the coolest talents on the scene at the moment. Central Saint Martin’s graduate, Wales Bonner launched her eponymous line in 2014 as a menswear designer creating sharp tailored collections with a focus African art and literature often taking centre stage (so much so she had an exhibition at the Serpentine last year). 

While she may have started in menswear, it only took a few seasons for Wales Bonner to move her streetwear-meets-menswear aesthetic into womenswear, with a real sense of gender fluidity at its core. Just one year after her launch, Wales Bonner went on to win the British Fashion Award for ‘Emerging Menswear Designer’ and, on 1st May, she won the British Fashion Council/ Vogue Fashion Fund to expand her business as well as collaborating with Dior on their recent Cruise collection. 

Choosing to support Wales Bonner wasn’t Meghan’s only consideration for this momentous moment: you may have also missed a tiny detail by way of the necklace she paired with her trench-style dress. 

The discreet and delicate necklace features three tiny turquoise gems, and turquoise is one of the six stones that represent Taurus (our royal baby’s zodiac sign), as well as representing good fortune and success. And, of course, three stones marks the start of Meghan and Harry’s new family.

If only we were more considered and didn’t just throw on what was clean… 

Images: Getty