Meghan Markle Sent a Meaningful Message about Sustainable Fashion on Her Royal Tour of Africa

• During her royal tour of Africa last month, Meghan Markle (opens in new tab) made a powerful statement without verbally saying a word.
• The Duchess of Sussex promoted a cause close to her heart—sustainable fashion—by wearing pieces that focus on sustainability, according to People. 
• Sarah Staudinger, co-founder of STAUD (opens in new tab), the designer behind one of Meghan's most iconic looks from the tour, spoke to the magazine about the impact of having Meghan champion the cause of sustainable fashion.

Meghan Markle (opens in new tab) routinely speaks out about causes (opens in new tab) that are close to her heart, but the Duchess of Sussex is also able to savvily and subtly use her platform to support her favorite issues without saying a word.

Take her recent royal tour of Africa, for example. As People (opens in new tab) notes, Meghan used (opens in new tab) the high-profile series of engagements to champion one of the many causes she cares dearly about—sustainable fashion.

During the trip, Meghan's fashion choices (opens in new tab) were closely watched, so when she wore a recycled nylon dress from Los Angeles brand STAUD during her visit to the Auwal Mosque, it had a huge impact.

"The eyes of the world are constantly on the royal family, so it is very meaningful that the Duchess has placed a focus on sustainability,” Sarah Staudinger, co-founder of STAUD, told People. "We are honored that she chose to wear a dress from our brand."

Meghan wore STAUD's “Millie” dress (opens in new tab), a floor-length, olive green, belted shirt dress made entirely from recycled nylon, during the tour and, since Meghan stepped out in the $325 dress, it's been in high demand and is now on pre-order (but still expected to be available in time for Christmas).

“The response has been incredible and has exposed us to a much wider audience,” Staudinger added.

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