Tuxe: The feminist fashion brand loved by Meghan Markle

The brand’s mantra is ‘building women up, one purchase at a time’

(@Malala/Instagram )

The Duchess of Sussex is known for supporting women through both her philanthropic work and her fashion ventures.

When  it comes to the latter, Meghan Markle has developed a reputation for wearing independent clothing brands launched by female founders, such as With Nothing Underneath and Gabriela Hearst.

Now, one brand in particular has become a talking point after the Duchess was seen wearing it for the third time over the weekend.

On Sunday, Meghan spoke with activist Malala Yousafzai over Zoom in honour of International Day of the Girl.

For the video call, Meghan wore a monochrome look, pairing a sleeveless polo neck black bodysuit with a pair of white loose-fitting trousers.

The bodysuit was designed by an American label called Tuxe, which produces a wide-range of leotards, shirts and long-sleeved and short-sleeved bodysuits.

But it’s the ethos behind the brand that is its unique selling point.

Tamar Daniel launched Tuxe in the wake of the 2008 financial crash with the hope supporting professional women and bringing them back into the workplace.

Tuxe, which has also been worn by Kourtney Kardashian, claims to be the first womenswear brand to combine career coaching with clothing

Today, the brand offers its consumers free performance sessions with well-known careers coach Ianna Raim, who has coached Daniel herself.

As soon as customers purchase a Tuxe item, they get complimentary access to 10 video sessions with Raim that are designed to help women meet their professional goals.

“Since working with Ianna, I’ve been thinking of ways to provide access to the same important messages for our customers," explained Daniel in a video interview.

“And it seemed like the most exciting and natural thing in the world to invite Ianna to come on board and open up her proven strategies.”

Knowing the importance of clothing when it comes to job interviews is something Meghan herself has supported via her capsule collection with SmartWorks - a non-profit organisation that provides training and support for unemployed women - which makes her choice of brand all the more suitable.

Daniel, who previously designed clothes for Topshop, decided to launch Tuxe after feeling inspired to combine her passion for design with her desire to encourage women to return to work.

But, keen to keep things simple, she wanted the brand to revolve around a singular item. After surging in popularity in the 1980s, bodysuits had fallen out of fashion by the late 1990s. What was once a staple for stretchy sportswear-lovers became kitsch and outdated.

However, before launching the brand, Daniel had begun to notice a recent trend among her professional female friends, many of whom were wearing bodysuits to business meetings.

And so Tuxe, a label dedicated entirely to the bodysuit, was born.

Speaking about the advent of the label, Daniel told Vogue in 2017: “We were all going out to interview again and I noticed that there was a return to more tucked-in dressing and suit dressing.” 

“I thought that this would be a good moment to make something that would be about tucking in.” 

It is indeed one of the most versatile items of clothing, one that can be just as easily paired with a pencil skirt and stilettos as it can with a tailored suit and trainers. It also requires little to no ironing, is naturally flattering, and can be worn by anyone for almost any occasion.

Now, Tuxe is a successful brand based in Houston, Texas, selling a wide-range of leotards, shirts and long-sleeved and short-sleeved bodysuits.

The brand sells its clothing online via its website and other luxury online retailers, including Moda Operandi.

The garments are mostly made in neutral shades - think black, white, beige and blue - and range in price from $100 (£77) to $300 (£231).

Unlike traditional bodysuits, Tuxe’s garments are made with a laser-cut and a bonded edge, which means they do not create visible panty lines (VPLs) like so many other bodysuits. 

Meghan has worn Tuxe several times. Firstly for her event at Hubb Community Kitchens in 2018 and then to the Endeavour Awards, which she attended with Prince Harry later that same year.

The bodysuit that she wore for the Zoom call with Malala is called the “Renegade” and is currently available online for £230.

Daniel has previously said that working with Meghan is one of her proudest accomplishments.

“Working with Meghan Markle’s team to dress Meghan was a huge moment for the brand this year,” she told We Rule earlier this year. 

“In the coming months we’re excited to push the envelope on e-commerce experiences for professional women, by really exploring the juxtaposition of clothes which work hard and content which supports our customer.”

Tuxe was apt choice for Meghan’s discussion with Malala, which was about creating opportunities for female education.

During the conversation, Meghan said: "What I realised very early on was that when women have a seat at the table, conversations in terms of policy change, conversations in terms of legislation, certainly in terms of just the dynamics of the community are all shifted, and typically when a woman is present at the table, she's going to be advocating for the entire family."

You can shop Tuxe online here.