Meghan Markle is proving herself to be a real denim head.
Having helped put brands like Outland Denim and Hiut on the radar of fashionistas, and recently sporting casual denim jackets and dresses by the likes of Madewell and J.Crew, the duchess is redefining what it means to be a blue blood.
In an unannounced appearance during her and Prince Harry’s royal tour of South Africa Tuesday, The Duchess of Sussex stopped by Johannesburg’s Victoria Yards, a hub for small business owners and artisans, to pick up a pair of custom jeans by Tshepo “The Jean Maker” Mohlala.
On Twitter, Mohlala wrote that he received a call from the British embassy four weeks ago. “The Duchess of Sussex placed an order for a pair of jeans and today she came to collect them personally,” he wrote.
During the visit People reports that Mohlala spoke to the duchess about the growth of his business, which now employs 10 people. He also surprised the royal with a pair of denim overalls for her five-month-old son Archie.
The denim dungarees feature the outline of a red three-point crown on the back pocket, which he explained represents the three women—his mother, grandmother and aunt—who raised him.
The women influenced Mohala’s decision to become a denim designer. On his website, he describes how his aunt Takalani sparked his love affair with the fabric by pairing classic items like denim jackets and boot-cut jeans with quirky accessories.
In 2015, he founded Tshepo, which now specializes in custom-made denim and offers limited-edition pre-made collections at Victoria Yards studio. An online store will launch soon.