‘We are in it together’: The Duchess of Sussex launches workwear range to help women gain employment

The Duchess of Sussex has collaborated on a clothing collection to support a charity which helps women gain employment.

She announced yesterday that she was supporting the initiative alongside John Lewis, Marks and Spencer, Jigsaw and designer Misha Nonoo.

Each time an item of clothing is bought from the workwear collection, a ‘like for like’ item will be donated to the individuals using the charity’s services.

Smart Works provides interview clothes and training to women in need. Women are referred to the charity from organisations such as job centres, prisons, care homes, homeless shelters and mental health charities. The Duchess is royal patron of the charity.

‘After quiet visits to Smart Works over the last year, The Duchess was moved by the impactful work being done by this non-profit organisation that helps women into the workforce, equipping them with both the skills and clothes they need to feel job-ready,’ said a spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

‘Throughout her visits she noticed that while the [clothing] donations were plentiful, they were also notably a combination of mismatched items and colours which weren’t always the right stylistic choices or sizes that didn’t necessarily “suit” the job at hand: to make a woman feel confident and inspired as she walked into her job interview.

‘This initiative is supported by four generous brands who share the vision to empower the women of Smart Works to look and feel 100% as they bravely venture in to what can often be a daunting environment for those who have been out of the job market.’

The charity collaboration follows the publication of the Duchess’s guest-edited edition of British Vogue.

She embraced the one-for-one model, where an item bought from the collection is an item shared with a woman helped by Smart Works, as ‘not only does this allow us to be part of each other’s story; it reminds us we are in it together’.

Further details on the collection will be released in autumn.

Credit: Chris Jackson / Getty Images

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