A New York City-based clothing brand, also called As Ever, has responded after Meghan Markle revealed she would be rebranding her lifestyle company from American Riviera Orchard to As Ever. The announcement, made on Instagram, sparked confusion and concern among customers, prompting the brand to clarify its position.
In a post shared on Tuesday, As Ever’s owner, Mark Kolski, thanked customers for their continued support and clarified that his brand is not affiliated with Markle’s new venture.
“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,” Kolski wrote. “In the last 36 hours, there has been an outpouring of support and concern regarding recent events around our namesake brand. We are aware. We are not affiliated.”
Kolski went on to explain that his brand has been operating since 2015, starting as a side project when he reworked vintage military gear to create the brand’s signature tanker pant for his wife, Astrid Dahl. This was followed by a popular pink jumpsuit that quickly gained a cult following.
“It’s 2025. We are grateful to still be here making clothing in New York & New Jersey. We are grateful for all the customers coast to coast and worldwide that have supported our venture. We will continue As Ever,” he said.
In an interview with The U.S. Sun, Kolski revealed that while he doesn’t own the trademark for the name As Ever, he is “exploring all possibilities” since he has been selling clothing under that name since 2017.
“This new venture has the power and money of Netflix behind it,” Kolski said. “Even if I wanted to do something, I don’t think I have the behemoth of lawyers and money that are behind this.”
The Independent has reached out to representatives for Meghan Markle for comment.
Meghan Markle announced the name change of her brand in a video shared on Instagram Tuesday, explaining that she had encountered issues with trademarking. Initially, she had attempted to trademark the name American Riviera Orchard in the summer of 2024. However, the trademark application was rejected in August due to problems with how it was filed.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office informed Meghan that she could not claim exclusive rights to the name “American Riviera,” as it is a commonly used term to describe the area where she and Prince Harry live in Santa Barbara. Adding the word “Orchard” did little to resolve the issue. Additionally, the description of some of the products under this name—such as “cocktail napkins” and “cooking utensils”—fit into multiple trademark categories, creating further complications.
Meghan also faced challenges from another Santa Barbara company using the term “American Riviera” to sell candles.
The Duchess was given three months to address the issues raised by the trademark office and, in November, requested a three-month extension. The Sussexes’ office described the setbacks as “routine and expected” during the trademark filing process.
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