Bottega Veneta’s CEO has recently made shocking allegations against Meghan Markle, accusing her of selling counterfeit earrings and causing significant financial losses.
The controversy arose after Meghan’s appearance at the Invictus Games 2023 in Dusseldorf, where she sported a Zara-belted short jumpsuit in ecru, paired with a cream blazer.
To complete her ensemble, the Duchess of Sussex accessorized with black-glazed leather mules from St. Laurent, Bottega Veneta chain hoop earrings, and a leozodiac diamond pendant from Brilliant Earth.
Her husband, Prince Harry, joined her, donning a semi-formal look with a pale blue button-up shirt, dark-washed denim jeans, a brown belt, sunglasses, and green suede lace-up sneakers.
Unfortunately, the brands associated with Meghan’s outfit did not experience the expected boost in sales or positive feedback from customers.
The retailers failed to fully grasp the negative impact she had on their products, and it was only after the event that several fraudulent activities targeting these brands were exposed.
The Bottega Veneta earrings Meghan wore at the Invictus Games became highly sought after, but this surge in popularity resulted in significant damage to Bottega Veneta’s brand reputation and sales.
Interestingly, a questionable website called Meghan’s Mirror, known for featuring photos of the Duchess wearing the latest outfits and accessories with purchase links, was linked to these knockoff products.
Many people soon realized that the items featured on the website were not genuine and were identified as fake products of varying quality, despite their resemblance to the authentic ones.
This raised questions about the identity of the individuals behind this suspicious website and their motives for consistently featuring new or rare photos of Meghan before they appeared in tabloids.
The repercussions for Bottega Veneta were substantial, with each item associated with Meghan’s appearance resulting in a loss of $500 in sales.
It is important to note that Meghan does not officially represent the brand, making these damages even more significant.
The cumulative impact on Bottega Veneta and other affected brands could potentially reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Many suspect that Meghan herself may be behind these fraudulent websites and personally profiting from them.
Throughout her six-day presence at the Invictus Games, Meghan Markle showcased a mix of high street and high-end fashion, with her clothing and jewelry collection estimated to be worth nearly 300,000 pounds.
While she indulged in expensive brands such as Givenchy, Chanel, and Hermès, she also embraced a more affordable approach by incorporating pieces from Zara, Banana Republic, J.Crew, Ralph Lauren, and Totem.
However, the majority of her expenses were attributed to her extensive jewelry collection, which included Princess Diana’s 17,800-pound Cartier watch, a 50,000-pound Lorraine Schwartz pinky ring adorned with diamonds from the Middle East, and a 2,260-pound 1972 tennis pinky ring from Chiffin & Co.
It is worth noting that Meghan’s presence at the Invictus Games shifted the focus from the athletes to herself.