Meghan's Bondi Beach Outfit Immediately Listed for Sale on Commission Website
The Duchess of Sussex's complete outfit from her emotional visit to Bondi Beach terror attack survivors on Friday has been swiftly uploaded to the fashion platform OneOff, where she stands to earn a percentage from every sale. This commercial move has ignited criticism that it represents the most blatant example yet of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leveraging their royal brand for financial gain.
Instant Commercialisation of a Sombre Visit
Within hours of Meghan's appearance at Bondi Beach, the OneOff website featured her entire "look" with direct purchase links. The items include her $440 blue and white striped Matteau shirt, $139 white 'sailor jeans', $298 Freda Salvador trainers, $198 Brochu Walker sunglasses, and a $950 brown suede bag. Prince Harry appears on the page largely obscured by these commercial links to his wife's wardrobe.
Meghan, who is both an investor in the AI-powered fashion business and listed as 'Meghan, Duchess of Sussex' on the platform, is expected to receive a portion of OneOff's sales commission ranging from 10% to 25% per item sold. The platform, described as the 'Spotify of fashion', has been uploading all of Meghan's Australian tour outfits almost immediately after public appearances.
Emotional Meeting with Survivors and First Responders
The commercial listing follows a deeply moving visit where the Sussexes met survivors and first responders of the horrific December antisemitic massacre that claimed 15 lives. Meghan appeared visibly affected as she listened to harrowing accounts from those who witnessed the tragedy.
She embraced Jessica Chapnik Kahn, who survived while shielding her five-year-old daughter after attending a Hanukkah party. "When the gunshots started, we started running towards the beach," Ms Chapnik Kahn recounted. "I spoke really clearly into her ear, and I said: 'My darling, go inside yourself where all the love is, and stay there.' And we laid there together in this heart space in the middle of horror."
The couple also spoke with volunteer first responders from the Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club, including lifeguard Jonathan Botts who witnessed the "whole shooting massacre unfolding" from the surf club. "They've taken time out of their pretty brief visit to Australia to visit the site and meet with some of the people that were involved," Botts noted.
Mounting Criticism and Royal Concerns
Royal experts have condemned the timing and nature of the commercial activity. "This is perhaps the starkest example yet of Harry and Meghan's efforts to commercialise their royal brand," said royal commentator Richard Palmer. "I think this will have alarm bells ringing at the palace and may ultimately prompt further discussion about whether there is a need to strip them of their royal titles."
Palmer added that while the palace can argue the Sussexes aren't publicly-funded members of the institution, "they are the King's son and daughter-in-law and any suggestion of cashing in on royal status reflects badly on the monarchy."
OneOff's Business Model and Meghan's Involvement
OneOff operates as an AI-powered fashion platform allowing users to shop celebrity-inspired looks. Verified stars like Meghan can earn affiliate revenue each time a fan purchases an item through their curated pages. The revenue split involves 10-25% from retailers to OneOff, which is then shared with the creator.
The company stated of their arrangement with the Duchess: "She cares about fashion and was motivated to invest not only to expand her portfolio, but to help uplift the fashion designers she is a fan of."
Additional Context from the Bondi Visit
During their beach visit, the Sussexes also examined artefacts for a new exhibition at the Sydney Jewish Museum, including well-wishing messages and illustrations of members of the public hailed as heroes during the attack. Museum senior curator Shannon Biederman described their visit as "really special" during "a really challenging time for the community."
The December attack, allegedly carried out by Naveed Akram and his father Sajid who was shot dead by police, represents Australia's worst mass shooting since 1996, specifically targeting the Jewish festival of lights at Sydney's Archer Park.
Amid the sombre proceedings, a lighter moment occurred when a man wearing only beachball-patterned budgie smugglers took selfies before cornering Prince Harry for a sweaty hug and photograph on the crowded beach.
