I don’t really have an opinion about the news/gossip/analysis site Puck. I wound up on their mailing list at some point, probably because of their coverage of Angelina Jolie and Vanna White (I sh-t you not), and I’m constantly rolling my eyes at their wannabe-Vanity Fair style of making a meal out of some truly milquetoast gossip. Speaking of, Puck is reporting something exclusive-ish, in that I haven’t seen this anywhere else. According to Puck’s Lauren Sherman, the Duchess of Sussex hired a new Montecito-based stylist named Jamie Mizrahi. Here’s a big chunk from this completely overwrought Puck piece:
Did you know that Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex or whatever these days, is working with Jamie Mizrahi, expert celebrity friend-turned-expert celebrity stylist? For now, everyone is keeping mum, and perhaps they’ll never speak of it. Mizrahi was en route to Paris when I messaged her about Markle. She didn’t reply. (Good girl.) The Markle camp didn’t respond to my queries. But I believe the new partnership—presumably forged in Montecito, where they each have homes—marks a turning point for both parties when it comes to their respective myth-making.
Markle is actually not much of a subject of fascination for me, perhaps because I have P.T.S.D. from my mother’s Princess Diana obsession. But I am, of course, interested in the way she presents herself. For the past few years, people connected to her have claimed she doesn’t work with a stylist. And it was believable, given all the wrinkled clothing and slightly off tailoring. In the early days of her Prince Harry era, she relied on friend Jessica Mulroney, whom she met in Canada while working on Suits. At some point, though, they split. Markle called upon U.K.-based Maria Means Cote, an ex-Prada P.R., for a while, but they stopped working together as early as 2021.
In her California life, Markle doesn’t necessarily need a stylist. The dress code in Montecito—a sort of Nancy Meyers movie where Oprah’s house isn’t even the biggest on the block—requires more pull-on linen pants than fitted Roland Mouret shift dresses. (We’re not in Westminster anymore, Dorothy.) Markle makes just a few public appearances a year, and more importantly, her persona is predicated on the idea that she is in control. So it doesn’t matter all that much that her clothes don’t always fit perfectly as long as she’s the one who chooses them. Even her Givenchy wedding gown, designed by the Brit Clare Waight Keller, with whom she was recently seen having lunch, wasn’t quite right. (Not only is Givenchy a French brand, but once again, there were tailoring issues.) This is all part of her charm. And Markle fans don’t seem to mind: When she first started dating Prince Harry, items she wore sold out almost instantly. Not many celebrities have that sort of pull. You have to be both aspirational and accessible at once, like Taylor Swift.
But if Markle is entertaining a Hollywood relaunch—orchestrated, probably, by the talent agency WME—she may need more support. After all, the fashion industry wants little to do with her. Dior even released a statement last year noting that they had not signed her as a spokesperson. The fact that they even bothered to extinguish a swirling rumor suggests that they were desperate to have it quashed.
Enter Mizrahi (née Schneider), who grew up near the Short Hills Mall and moved to California after she started dating Nico Mizrahi, a hedge-funder from Los Angeles. (She married him in 2016. By all accounts, they are kind people.) Mizrahi has been working in fashion since she graduated from college, but until a few years ago was known more as a socialite and friend-of-celebrities than a hardcore professional….Then she started styling Adele, and things changed. She got a Louis Vuitton contract. Is she good? The other day, an acquaintance of Mizrahi’s started texting me images of looks she had crafted that bore a shocking resemblance to those another rising star had arranged just a few weeks prior; most notably, Mizrahi put client Jurnee Smollett in a black Proenza Schouler gown that Danielle Goldberg client Ayo Edebiri had worn in cream just three weeks earlier. This person texting me had no idea about Markle, they were just appalled by the perceived copycatry. Perhaps it was a coincidence.
Anyway, originality matters less in this business than effectiveness. Today, Mizrahi works with the likes of Riley Keough, Jeremy Allen White, and most importantly, Jennifer Lawrence. She’s been integral to Lawrence’s rebrand over the past year, which also included hiring a new publicist and releasing a raunchy comedy. I don’t like how Mizrahi dresses Lawrence: There is a prim fussiness to her current wardrobe that feels antithetical to her personality. (She seems like a fun person, and the clothes aren’t.) But most people don’t agree with me. Lawrence has never attracted attention for her fashion choices before; now she does, so it’s working on some level, even if it doesn’t have a long-term impact on how people perceive her.
Can Mizrahi do for Markle what she has done for Lawrence? Markle’s ladylike, jewel-toned taste is closely aligned with Mizrahi’s, so perhaps they could make an even more powerful combination. Regardless, Markle needs to make money, and sharpening her look could be the first step in something bigger: Not only should she be gunning for endorsements, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she was keen to develop her own fashion line. (Markle’s old friend Misha Nonoo, currently the chief brand officer of Spanx, would be a good resource in that department.) And Mizrahi might be the best first step, whatever the actual end goal.
I haven’t seen this much bitching about Meghan’s tailoring since 2018! While I do think Meghan had some tailoring issues back in the early days of duchessing, her return to California has brought out her baseline aesthetic – looser, comfortable, palazzo pants and sad beiges, lots of bare shoulders and California creams. It’s not about tailoring, it’s about cozy-yet-clean. And given that Meghan’s fans have always loved/defended/bought whatever she wears, why would she need to hire some fancy stylist to remake her look? Be logical! Comparing Meghan and Taylor Swift too… the audacity!! Taylor’s street style and red carpet style is completely tragic given her money and access. Meghan just looks like a wealthy and attractive California mom who likes beige. Anyway, I kind of hope Meghan has hired a professional stylist, but who knows. More than that, I hope she stops leaving all of that money on the table and she becomes a brand ambassador for one of the labels.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Backgrid, Getty.