Meghan Markle has avoided a legal dispute over her new brand, As Ever, after a New York-based independent business owner decided not to pursue legal action against the Duchess of Sussex. Mark Kolski, the designer behind As Ever NYC, had initially considered challenging Markle's decision to use the same name for her recently rebranded lifestyle company but ultimately chose to focus on his own business instead.
"I'm not trying to mount some legal offensive here," Kolski told The New York Times. "Right now, I'm just going back to work, and I'm trying to keep the awareness on my brand. What it feels like is that people are making comments, and the media wants to create a rift between us, but there isn't."
Kolski had sought legal advice from his brother, an attorney, who informed him that he had "some rights" in protecting his business name. However, he concluded that pursuing legal action was not necessary at this time. "If any conflict eventually arises that affects my business, I'll evaluate that then," he said.
Markle, who had previously attempted to launch American Riviera Orchard before shifting to As Ever, has faced scrutiny over potential trademark conflicts. The rebrand has drawn criticism from multiple businesses with similar names, including As Ever Photography and a New Jersey-based clothing company. Additionally, the village of Porreres in Mallorca has accused Markle's company of copying elements of its coat of arms in the As Ever logo, which features a palm tree and hummingbirds.
Trademark filings indicate that As Ever is intended to extend beyond lifestyle products into hospitality services, self-care seminars, and temporary accommodations. Despite the broad scope, Markle has been barred from selling clothing under the As Ever name due to its similarity to Chinese fast-fashion company ASEVER.
The legal uncertainty surrounding Markle's brand comes just weeks before the debut of her Netflix cooking and entertaining show, With Love, Meghan, scheduled for release on March 4. Markle recently announced the rebrand in a promotional video, explaining that she had originally intended to name her business American Riviera Orchard but opted for As Ever because it "wasn't limited" to products from Santa Barbara.
"Last year, I had thought, 'American Riviera, that sounds like such a great name,'" Markle said in the video. "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 added, "Netflix came on, not just as my partner in the show, but as my partner in my business, which was huge."
Despite the legal challenges, Markle appears poised to move forward with her brand. She teased future product offerings, including jams, home goods, and wellness items, telling fans, "Of course, there will be fruit preserves; I think we're all clear at this point that jam is my jam. But there are so many more products that I just love, and now it's time to share them with you."
