The Welsh company, Hiut Denim, has revealed the transformative effect of Meghan Markle wearing their jeans.
The fashion company experienced the ‘Meghan effect’ after the Duchess of Sussex wore a pair of Hiut jeans on her first official royal visit to Wales.
After the royal trip to Cardiff Castle in 2018, Hiut gained global attention from the press and a boost in business.
The company was founded by husband-and-wife team David and Clare Hieatt in Cardigan, Ceredigion in 2012.
Meghan wore Hiut jeans on her visit royal visit to Wales.
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Clare said: "When Meghan Markle wore our jeans we had the world's press on our doorstep, so our grand masters [workers], as we call them, have become used to being featured in things... it's good for business.”
Clare discussed how the company has learned to deal with demand following the royal exposure.
She said: “We were inundated with orders and people were waiting three or four months for a pair of jeans.”
David told Elle: “We have [had] to move factory to one that is three times bigger.
Meghan is often spotted wearing jeans.
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“She is one of the most influential women in the world, we are just humbled she decided to help us. And she is doing the same for lots of brands and causes. Kudos to her.”
A pair of Hiut jeans currently retail from £150 to £300 and are custom made to order.
In an episode of BBC 2’s Inside the Factory: Jeans, presenter Greg Wallace spoke to the founders of Hiut.
The company employs 25 people and is producing about 10,000 pairs of jeans a year from Italian denim suppliers.
Hiut gained global attention from the press and a boost in business after the visit.
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Hiut jeans cost £150 to £300 and are custom made to order.
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They pride themselves on “timeless design,” “attention to detail” and “innovative design.”
Cardigan used to be home to the factory that made 35,000 pairs of jeans a week for Marks and Spencer.
But the factory was closed and moved to Morocco in 2002 cutting 400 jobs in the town.
Ten years later, the Hieatts chose Cardigan to be the home of their jean factory and employed some of the machinists who had lost their jobs at the old plant.
Meghan was named as “the country’s most powerful dresser” in the global fashion search platform Lyst’s ‘Year In Fashion 2019.’
