Meghan Markle keeps to a female empowerment theme for "Giving Tuesday" 2022

In America the Thanksgiving Thursday holiday is followed by the shopping frenzy that is Black Friday and Cyber Monday and since 2012 / 2013 a global movement to support non-profits called Giving Tuesday. Ahead of Giving Tuesday 2022 Meghan has teamed up with the eco-friendly lifestyle brand Cuyana, that will see 500 of their Classic Structured Tote Bags donated to the UK Charity Smart Works UK, the non-profit where Meghan remains Patron.

Cuyana (which means “to love” in Quechua)  is a women-built, heritage-led company selling life-style goods such as bags and clothing and with sustainability at the heart of what they do. They operate under the ethos of offering fewer but better quality collections, that are designed to last. The company also sells used products, giving a second or third life to their pieces. 

Cuyana was founded by two women ten years ago. They partner with skilled craftswomen around the world, and their internal team is primarily female-led. Cuyana say that they are proud to champion the voices and skills of women to bring clients the best possible product.

In a press release issued by Cuyana the company said that they were thrilled to partner with Meghan and Smart Works UK, saying that giving back has always been at the heart of their organization.

Smart Works story began in North London, UK in 2013 and has since expanded to other cities across the UK. The non-profit works with women to both dress them, help them prepare resumes, and to coach them as they prepare to enter or re-enter the work force.

Meghan has been Patron of Smart Works since 2019. That year she helped launch The Smart Set Capsule Collection in partnership with four leading fashion brands; John Lewis & Partners, Marks & Spencer, Jigsaw and Misha Nonoo. The collection was designed to create a perfect working wardrobe for Smart Works clients and it was sold to the general public over a two-week period on a 1:1 model, whereby for every item bought by a member of the public, another was given to the charity to help a woman get back into the workplace. The pieces quickly sold out.

In a press release today about the new initiative with Cuyana, Meghan said that over the years she has had the privilege of "witnessing the magic of Smart Works" and seeing women's confidence and their lives transformed. Meghan described Cuyana as an organization that is by women and for women and thus she felt a perfect fit for Smart Works, saying that similar to the Smart Set Collection from back in 2019, this collaboration will support women in the UK as they move back into the workforce. Meghan said she was proud to bring these two organizations together.