An independent NYC clothing brand named As Ever has detailed its concerns after Meghan Markle rebranded her lifestyle business venture to the same name.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, this week unveiled the new name of her soon-to-be-launched brand, revealing that she dropped the initial American Riviera Orchard moniker.
Now, a small New York-based vintage clothing company has addressed the “Suits” alum’s rebrand.
“Wow and hello,” the company’s founder, Mark Kolski, wrote in a statement on Instagram Tuesday.
“I want to say thank you to all the old friends who know and love our small family brand As Ever, and also say hi to all those that have just become aware we exist.”
“In the last 36 hours there has been an outpouring of support and concern regarding recent events around our namesake brand,” the statement continued. “We are aware. We are not affiliated.”
Kolski said that while he officially launched his business in 2017, the project had been in the works since 2015. The company is based in New York and New Jersey.
“We are grateful for all the customers coast to coast and worldwide that have supported our venture. We will continue As Ever,” the statement concluded.
Kolski, 58, later spoke to The Sun, admitting that he now feels powerless to take any action in response to Markle’s new rebrand.
Still, he said that he is refusing to change his clothing brand’s name and is currently “exploring all possibilities.”
“I’m a very small business, it’s a family-run operation. I’m essentially a one man band,” he told the outlet. “This new venture has the power and money of Netflix behind it.”
“Even if I wanted to do something I don’t think I have the behemoth of lawyers and money that are behind this,” he added.
Kolski said that while he doesn’t own a trademark to the As Ever name, he believes that he has common law right to sell articles of clothing since he’s been using the name for eight years.
The Post has reached out to Markle’s reps for comment.
Kolski’s business currently uses the Instagram handle @asevernyc, and boasts 11,300 followers. Meanwhile, Markle’s brand goes by the Instagram handle @aseverofficial and has 642,000 followers.
Following the mom of two’s announcement, Kolski reshared several messages of support from customers on the brand’s Instagram Story.
Markle unveiled the brand new name for her lifestyle business venture in an Instagram video earlier this week, saying she’s “shocked” that she’s managed to keep the rebrand a secret for so long.
“Last year, I had thought, ‘American Riviera, that sounds like such a great name.’ It’s my neighborhood… it’s a nickname for Santa Barbara, but it limited me to things that were just manufactured and grown in this area,” she said in the video.
“Then Netflix came on, not just as my partner in the show, but as my partner in my business. which was huge. So I thought about it, and I’ve been waiting for a moment to share a name that I had secured in 2022, and this is the moment, and it’s called As Ever.”
In September 2024, Markle’s application for American Riviera Orchard was reportedly rejected by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), who warned that businesses cannot trademark geographical locations.
The government agency also warned that Markle’s product descriptions could fit into multiple trademark categories.
Despite only going public with news of her new business venture some 36 hours ago, Markle has already faced several plagiarism concerns.
The former working royal is reportedly facing possible legal action from a Spanish town over As Ever’s new logo.
Civic bosses in the Mallorca village of Porreres reportedly claimed that Markle copied the town’s traditional coat of arms by including a single palm tree with two hummingbirds hovering on either side of it on her As Ever logo.
Mayor Xisca Mora told local newspaper Ara Balears that the similarities between the coat of arms and the logo are “surreal.”
She also claimed that the town hall is considering whether or not to take legal action against the duchess.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
