
The Duchess of Sussex told how it has been 'deeply important' to work with local communities since moving to the UK as she prepared to launch her charity clothing collection this afternoon.

In a statement released today, Meghan, 38, championed her own charity work and spoke of how 'amplifying the impact' of grass-root level groups has been a focus of her work as a royal.

Ahead of the launch of her latest project, a limited edition clothing range to benefit the Smart Works charity, the Duchess also shared previously unseen photos from a shoot for the collection last month.

The black and white images capture Meghan beaming as she hugs and helps to style the women who took part in the shoot. All of them are Smart Works 'clients', women who have successfully found jobs with the help of Smart Works.

The women are dressed in the five pieces from the collection: a £19.50 dress from Marks & Spencer; a £109 John Lewis tote bag; a £120 shirt from Meghan's designer friend Misha Nonoo; and a £199 jacket and £120 trousers, both from Jigsaw.

The Duchess formally unveiled the collection this afternoon and all five items will be available to buy both in store and online from today.

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Ahead of the launch of her latest project, a limited edition clothing range to benefit the Smart Works charity, the Duchess of Sussex shared previously unseen photos from a shoot for the collection last month. The images show the royal sharing a light-hearted moment with some of the women chosen to model her collection, pictured

Meghan Markle, 38, was captured embracing one woman on the set of the shoot, which took place last month

The Duchess of Sussex shares a light-hearted moment with the women on the set of the campaign, which launches today

The Duchess of Sussex arrived to launch the clothing collection this afternoon wearing the shirt and trousers from the line

The Duchess of Sussex delivered a speech at the launch of the Smart Set collection on Thursday afternoon

For every item bought during the sale of the collection, expected to last at least two weeks, one will be donated to Smart Works, which offers clothing and interview coaching to unemployed women.

In a statement released to accompany the photos, the Duchess told how working with local communities had been a key focus of hers since moving to the UK.

THE SMART SET COLLECTION IN FULL Marks & Spencer – The Smart Set Dress; Price: £19.50 Jigsaw – The Smart Set Suit; Price: Jacket: £199 Trouser £120 Misha Nonoo – The Smart Set Shirt; Price: £125 John Lewis & Partners – The Smart Set Tote; Price: £109 Advertisement

She said: 'Since moving to the UK, it has been deeply important to me to meet with communities and organisations on the ground doing meaningful work and to try to do whatever I can to help them amplify their impact.

'It was just last September that we launched the 'Together' cookbook with the women of the Hubb Kitchen in Grenfell.

'Now, one year later, I am excited to celebrate the launch of another initiative of women supporting women, and communities working together for the greater good.

'When you buy any item in the Smart Set Capsule Collection for Smart Works, the same item will be given to a Smart Works client, and with it, the confidence and support she needs to enter the workforce and take an important step in building a career.

'Thank you to the four brands who came together in supporting Smart Works on this special project - placing purpose over profit and community over competition.

The Duchess of Sussex shared a handful of photos from the shoot on her official Sussex Royal Instagram account, including the one above

The Duchess of Sussex surprised the Smart Works clients at a photo shoot in London last month. She shared photos today

The Duchess of Sussex brought the group of women - who have all been helped by the charity - in for a group hug at the shoot

Other images capture the models relaxing and joking on the set of the photo shoot, which was held last month

Models showcase the £109 John Lewis tote bag, left, and the £120 Jigsaw slim fit trousers, right, in a photo from the shoot

Models in the £125 Misha Nonoo shirt, left, the £120 trousers and £199 Jigsaw jacket, centre, and the £109 tote bag and £19.95 Marks & Spencer dress, right

'In convening several companies rather than one, we've demonstrated how we can work collectively to empower each other - another layer to this communal success story, that I am so proud to be a part of.'

The Smart Set will be available in stores, online and in Smart Works Dressing Rooms across the UK from Thursday 12 September.

To ensure the capsule collection is as accessible and inclusive as possible, the pieces will be available at a range of different price points and in a range of different sizes and colours.

Meghan privately visited Smart Works several times before being named as its royal patron in January and has a long-standing commitment to supporting women's empowerment.

She announced the project benefiting the charity in her September issue of British Vogue, which was given the tagline 'Forces For Change'.

The £199 Jigsaw jacket is worn over the £19.50 dress from M&S, showing how the pieces can be styled together

The model adds the £109 leather tote bag from John Lewis to the look, showing how the range is designed to mix and match

A model showcases the tailored jacket (£199) and trousers (£120) from Jigsaw, which she wears with the Misha Nonoo shirt

A model looks stunning in the £19.50 dress from M&S, pictured, which is designed to flatter any body shape

Writing in the fashion bible she said: 'The reason I was drawn to Smart Works is that it re-frames the idea of charity as community, which, for me, is incredibly important: it's a network of women supporting and empowering other women in their professional pursuits.'

Smart Works has helped more than 11,000 women and aims to dress 3,500 this year across their two London offices, and additional bases in Edinburgh, Manchester, Reading, Birmingham and Newcastle.

It has a team of 300 trained volunteers and helps long-term unemployed and vulnerable women regain the skills, confidence and tools to succeed at job interviews, return to employment and transform their lives.

The versatile M&S dress, pictured, is shown styled both with (right) and without a belt (left). It costs just £19.50

A model wears two pieces from the collection - the dress and jacket - which is being released to benefit Smart Works charity

The Smart Set suit from Jigsaw (left and right) is the perfect pairing for the £120 crisp white shirt from Misha Nonoo

The collection (including the jacket and shirt pictured) is available to buy from today and will be on sale for at least two weeks

First look at Meghan Markle's charity clothes collection: Pieces including a £19.50 M&S dress, a £109 bag from John Lewis and a £125 shirt by Duchess' pal Misha Nonoo go on sale (and the tote has ALREADY sold out!)

The Duchess of Sussex's charity clothing range was launched online this morning hours before its official launch - and it's already selling out.

Meghan, 38, formally presents the five-piece capsule collection, which benefits the Smart Works charity, at an event this afternoon, marking her return to official engagements following the birth of son Archie in May.

However this morning Marks & Spencer and John Lewis - two of the four retailers taking part in the project - put two of the five pieces from the collection on sale.

The M&S website has a £19.50 'Smart Set' crepe shift dress available in two colours - blue and black. John Lewis unveiled a £109 tote bag from the 'Smart Set Capsule Collection' in tan and black but it has already sold out in both colours.

Both items, thought to have been released on the retailers' websites this morning, reference the Duchess of Sussex and the Smart Works charity in the product description, alongside a quote from the royal: 'Not a handout, a hand, held.'

Jigsaw soon followed, releasing a tailored one-button jacket costing £199, and a pair of slim tapered trousers, retailing at £120.

The final item from the capsule collection to drop, was the husband shirt, costing £125, and designed by Meghan and Harry's close mutual friend Misha Nonoo.

The first pieces from the Duchess of Sussex's charity clothing range are available to buy online - hours before the official launch. Among them is this £19.50 shift dress from M&S (pictured)

Jigsaw soon followed, releasing a tailored one-button jacket costing £199, and a pair of slim tapered trousers, retailing at £120

John Lewis & Partners Leather Smart Set Tote Bag in Tan is available to buy for £109

The final item from the capsule collection to drop, was the husband shirt, costing £125, and designed by Meghan and Harry's close mutual friend Misha Nonoo

The range has been created in collaboration with M&S, John Lewis, Jigsaw, and Meghan's designer friend Misha Nonoo.

For every item bought during the sale of the collection, expected to last at least two weeks, one will be donated to Smart Works, which offers clothing and interview coaching to unemployed women.

It was already known the collection would include professional pieces like a shirt, trousers, blazer, dress and bag, but the exact designs had been kept a closely guarded secret. Today it was also announced that there are just five pieces in total.

The dress and tote bag seen online today are the first look and suggest the collection will aim to deliver a 'classic' aesthetic that caters to a range of body types, according to celebrity stylist Lucas Armitage.

The Duchess will make her first public engagement since the birth of son Archie today to launch the limited edition clothing lin

The M&S Smart Set dress comes in three different colours: blue, black (pictured) and red

Both items, thought to have been released on the retailers' websites this morning, reference the Duchess of Sussex by name in the product description. John Lewis (top) and M&S

Made from 'subtly grained and soft-to-touch leather', the bag is described as 'a lightweight, versatile and practical weekday accessory for the modern woman'.

The 'generously-sized bag' has an open-top design with 'plenty of room to fit whatever you need to get you through the working day'.

It has a large exterior slip pocket and two phone-sized slip pockets, one card slot and a zipped pocket inside, and two shoulder straps and a detachable and adjustable crossbody strap.

Revealed: Stylist's take on the first designs Celebrity stylist Lucas Armitage said: 'Meghan Markle is known for her love of the form fitting and attention grabbing dresses so to see such a departure from her all eyes on me philosophy is a welcome step for me The shift dress is maybe underwhelming from a fashion point of view but it's a dress that will look great on most body shapes. 'The gathers round the neckline add some welcome detail and the loose fitting sleeve is a firm favourite for M&S shoppers.' He added: 'A classic leather tote is a bag every woman needs and this one doesn't disappoint. It's classic styling makes it the perfect all round bag.' Celebrity stylist Rochelle White added: 'The style of Meghans collection I think has an essence of her and her style. 'They have a nice balance of modern, casual and trendy and items that can be worn everyday. 'I feel that she has really thought about what items are in this collection and made it affordable and wearable for every day women. 'The price suits the brands/ stores that she has partnered with and I feel represents that type of people who are inspired by/ and are like Megan. 'I do believe that this collection will go down well with items selling out and that there will be a high demand for the collection. 'Megan has become a fashion icon in not just the UK but around the world.' Advertisement

Described as 'a staple in your autumn wardrobe' and 'a perfect choice all year round too', the dress is 'cut from crepe that handily doesn't require ironing, the shift shape flatters your figure with its clean and simple lines'.

Speaking to Femail, celebrity stylist Lucas Armitage said: 'Meghan Markle is known for her love of the form fitting and attention grabbing dresses so to see such a departure from her all eyes on me philosophy is a welcome step for me.

'The shift dress is maybe underwhelming from a fashion point of view but it's a dress that will look great on most body shapes.

'The gathers round the neckline add some welcome detail and the loose fitting sleeve is a firm favourite for M&S shoppers.'

He added: 'A classic leather tote is a bag every woman needs and this one doesn't disappoint. It's classic styling makes it the perfect all round bag.'

It was previously noted that the bag was designed so that it could fit a laptop - a must for many busy professional women on-the-go.

And the anticipated collection has racked up a mixed reaction from followers, with many welcoming the Duchess back and praising the 'simple and sleek' style.

One follower wrote: 'Impressive Duchess Meghan! I like the simplicity and sleek design clothing. A confidence building to women who are going back to work.'

Another added: 'Congrats Meghan and @smartworkscharityfor this amazing initiative. It's pactical, thoughtful and gorgeous too. You and Harry are the Forces for Change that we need.'

'Gorgeous pieces! Congratulations on a very successful endeavor!', another said, while one wrote: 'The clothing are well tailored..nothing cheap about a well made affordable for all .'

However some claimed the collection was 'boring', and pointed out Oxfam's initiative challenging consumers not to buy clothes throughout September, in order to reduce clothes waste and the carbon footprint.

One follower wrote: 'A couple of forgettable, underwhelming items. I guess that makes them versatile? Does versatile also have to be boring AF (sic)?'.

Another said: 'Oxfam is challenging people to buy no new clothing for the 30 days of September in an effort to reduce this environmental impact.

'They hope that the campaign will draw attention to the problem of clothing waste but also show consumers that second-hand clothes can be fashionable too.UK charity, Oxfam, has launched a campaign to get shoppers to stop buying new clothes this September.

'Secondhand September asks consumers to take a pledge to buy no new pieces of apparel for 30 days.'

The tan tote bag (seen left and right) is available to buy on the John Lewis website

The full collection is being launched by the Duchess of Sussex in person this afternoon.

Meghan privately visited Smart Works several times before being named as its royal patron in January and has a long-standing commitment to supporting women's empowerment.

She announced the project benefiting the charity in her September issue of British Vogue, which was given the tagline 'Forces For Change'.

Writing in the fashion bible she said: 'The reason I was drawn to Smart Works is that it re-frames the idea of charity as community, which, for me, is incredibly important: it's a network of women supporting and empowering other women in their professional pursuits.'

Smart Works has helped more than 11,000 women and aims to dress 3,500 this year across their two London offices, and additional bases in Edinburgh, Manchester, Reading, Birmingham and Newcastle.

It has a team of 300 trained volunteers and helps long-term unemployed and vulnerable women regain the skills, confidence and tools to succeed at job interviews, return to employment and transform their lives.