The fashion designer who became Meghan’s high society fixer

Rumours had long swirled that fashion designer Misha Nonoo played a pivotal role in introducing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

However, in his memoire Spare, Harry confirmed that it was in fact his childhood friend, Violet Von Westenholz, who brought them together.

Regardless, Meghan and Misha’s enduring friendship remains a testament to their bond, both personal and professional. 

In his book, Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, Andrew Morton details how the Suits actress and Misha met in December 2014 at Art Basel, an exclusive event held at Soho Beach House in Miami. 

At the time, Misha was married to Alexander Gilkes, who attended Eton with Prince Harry, and Meghan was dating Cory Vitiello, a chef from Toronto.

Meghan and Cory were invited to Miami Art Basel by her friend Markus Anderson, who is the membership director of Soho House.

The extravagant beachside event offered a blend of entertainment and luxury, with dancing, cocktails and indulgent beauty treatments. 

Guests were welcomed to their rooms with sapphire gin baskets and a fully stocked drinks bar, setting the tone for a night of high-end leisure and celebration.

When Meghan was introduced to Misha, the pair reportedly hit it off immediately.

Mr Morton writes: ‘Markus Anderson is a great fixer and mixer. He has an instinct for putting strangers together who he think might gel. 

‘At lunch he placed Meghan next to Bahrain-born fashion designer Misha Nonoo. At the time she was an up-and-coming designer known as much for her marriage to art dealer Alexander Gilkes, friend of Princes William and Harry, as for her maverick designs.

‘Meghan and Misha got along famously, lunchtime drinks extending into evening cocktails.

‘During the course of the afternoon they got talking about her new collection, which was going to be unveiled at New York Fashion Week. Meghan would be on break from Suits. She would be there.’ 

Indeed, Meghan sat front row during Misha Nonoo’s runway debut, a collection that emphasised the empowerment of women – a cause Meghan has long been passionate about.

The actress later praised the designs during an appearance on her friend Joe Zee’s Yahoo! Style fashion programme, highlighting how the models styled their own hair as part of the presentation. 

Meghan was particularly struck by this detail, noting, ‘It just set the scene,’ as she enthusiastically supported her friend’s collection. 

Their friendship would grow stronger over the years, with Misha becoming a key figure in Meghan’s inner circle.

The Duchess has consistently supported Misha by wearing her fashion designs on several notable occasions.

She memorably chose the ‘Husband’ shirt for her first public appearance with Prince Harry at the Invictus Games in September 2017. 

Additionally, Meghan wore another of Misha’s pieces during her final day of meetings in the UK in 2020, just before stepping back from royal duties. 

This ongoing support underscores their close friendship and shared appreciation for fashion. 

Misha and her now-husband Michael Hess were among the high-profile guests at Harry and Meghan’s royal wedding in 2018. 

In turn, Harry and Meghan attended Misha and Mikey’s wedding in Rome the following year, along with Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.

Eugenie had worked at Misha’s ex-husband Alexander’s auction house, Paddle8, in New York for nearly two years. 

Misha, who worked with the Duchess on her Smart Works charity line, opened up to Femail in 2020 about her friendship with the royal.

Reflecting on the experience of working together, Misha described Meghan as ‘the ultimate professional’ and very ‘considerate’ of the women the collection was helping.

‘It was such an ideal, incredibly easy collaboration,’ she said. ‘It was, from start to finish, wonderful, thoughtful, considerate, as is she.’

The pair seem to remain on good terms, having posed for a photo with Bobbi Brown at the G9 Ventures Summer Summit in July.