During the One World Summit in 2022, Markle wore a red pantsuit resembling the outfit worn by Wallis Simpson. She also donned brand new chunky gold jewelry from TOA, a fine jewelry company founded in 2019 by Neora Toa, a businesswoman from Bistan. The jewelry is designed by a London-based team and crafted in Italy. In the company's "As Seen On" section, Markle is listed as being styled by Jessica Willis, who serves as the fashion director for The Cut. Willis styled Markle for the magazine's September 2022 issue, which was written by Allison P Davis.
It is reasonable to assume that Markle would have a connection to the fashion industry that allows her to discreetly borrow clothes from various companies. However, not all celebrity stylists possess the same level of talent. Kate Young, a stylist for prominent figures like Margot Robbie, Selena Gomez, and Scarlett Johansson, has faced criticism on social media for her work. Any stylist working for Markle would need to navigate her ego and agree with her on everything, even disregarding advice from palace aides like Samantha Cohen.
It is known that Willis worked with Markle in 2022 and may still act as a personal shopper rather than a traditional stylist. Willis also gave a personal interview to TOA and was photographed for the brand's blog, wearing pieces of jewelry that Markle had worn, including earrings and a ring worth a combined $7,100. Markle has been seen wearing the earrings on multiple occasions, most recently at Kevin Costner's First Responders Fundraiser. The prominent feature of Willis on the brand's website, along with styling credit, suggests that she possibly received the jewelry for free. It remains to be seen how quickly Willis' styling credit will be removed from the jewelry website.
Notably, Jessica Willis is African-American, and there have been previous discussions about Markle's attitude towards people of color. This includes instances where Markle was reportedly embarrassed to take advice from the late Queen's Grenadier Guardsman, Nansia Ankrab, and was photographed appearing upset with a Jamaican waiter in 2017. Additionally, there have been reports of people of color leaving Markle's employ at Archewell shortly after being hired, and Markle indirectly disparaging Allison P Davis in an interview with Variety in October 2022. It is unfortunate that Markle has not publicly embraced the idea of having a stylist of color, despite claiming a connection to the African-American community.
