Meghan Markle admits she invited herself to the Balenciaga show in Paris to ‘support’ its celebrated designer

Meghan Markle admitted in a new interview that he invited her to Balenciaga’s Paris Fashion Week show last month.

The Duchess of Sussex, 44, told Harper’s Bazaar how she ‘reached out’ to then-newly appointed creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli, saying he was ‘happy to come and support you’ ahead of the event.

Meghan caused a stir online on Oct. 5 when she was photographed arriving at Mr. Piccioli’s first Balenciaga presentation in Paris.

The trip marked Meghan’s first return to Europe since 2023.

The mother of two had a stylish look in her white oversized button-down suit with a cape, seen arriving in the front row for the fashion show.

However, her catwalk debut did not go as smoothly as the Duchess had hoped; After footage of her sharing an awkward kiss with Mr Piccioli – before colliding head-on with him – was shared online.

Despite the faux pas, Meghan insisted the trip to Paris was ‘really fun’ in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar.

Meghan added that she was “really excited” for the Italian designer, whom she has known for many years, and wanted to “support” him ahead of his first fashion show for the brand.

The Duchess of Sussex, 44, who previously claimed her involvement was the ‘culmination of years of artistry and friendship’ with Balenciaga’s newly appointed creative director, told Harper’s Bazaar that she had ‘reached out’ to Pierpaolo Piccioli ahead of the show.

“I was excited for her,” the Duchess reflected on her night in Paris. I reached out and said, “I’m glad I came and supported you.”

“We kept it a secret and it was really fun,” Meghan continued.

A spokesman for the duchess has previously said Meghan and Mr Piccioli “work closely together, collaborating on the design of key moments on the world stage”.

On the other hand, when asked about his friendship with the Duchess, the legendary fashion designer said that they only “met a few years ago” and “texted”.

In an interview with CutHe told how Meghan reached out and said she ‘would love to come on the show’, and also addressed the frenzy surrounding Meghan’s appearance, saying there was ‘no strategy or orchestration whatsoever’.

Before being tapped to replace Demna at Balenciaga, Mr. Piccioli was creative director of Valentino from 2008 to 2024; He served alongside Maria Grazia Chiuri for eight of these 16 years.

The Duchess shared the trailer for the upcoming Netflix Christmas special in a media explosion yesterday, just hours before she was revealed as the cover star of Harper’s Bazaar’s ‘winter issue’ on the magazine’s social media accounts.

Meghan, who appears to have forgone make-up for the shoot, went bare-faced while posing for the cover.

She wore a low-cut, black silk jacket from Dior as the cover of the magazine had the title ‘Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Meets Her Moment’.

Meghan was recently announced as the cover star of Harper’s Bazaar’s December/January issue.

The duchess also modeled a Balenciaga creation for the spread, showing off a striking sleeveless red dress from the luxury design house that featured a dramatic cape over one shoulder.

During the interview, she talked about her husband, Prince Harry, and said, ‘there is no one in the world who loves me more than him.’

Holding her hand to her heart as she described the Duke of Sussex, Meghan said: ‘He loves me very boldly, completely, and he also has a different perspective because he sees the media in a way that I don’t.

‘There is no one in the world who loves me more than him, so I know he will always have my back. There is someone with a childlike curiosity and playfulness. I was so moved by it that it brought it out in me.’

It was also revealed that Meghan was announced to her guests like royalty.

Author Kaitlyn Greenidge revealed that the interview was conducted in two parts, at the Beverly Hills Hotel and at the home of one of Meghan’s unnamed friends.

Mrs Greenidge marveled: “When I walk in the house manager calls out ‘Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’, although it looks like we’re the only two people in the house.”

She’s also considered balancing her personal life as mother to Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet with her business ventures, including her lifestyle brand As Ever, as Meghan said, “I can make mistakes too.”

Discussing learning from imperfect moments, he shared: ‘You learn not to do it again.

‘If everything goes well, you don’t learn from it. If you don’t learn anything, you won’t grow.’

Meghan caused a stir online when she was photographed arriving at Mr Piccioli’s first Balenciaga presentation in Paris on October 5

For her runway debut, she wore two custom Balenciaga outfits, including a black dress with a cape draped over her left shoulder.

‘I am a mother who has children of that age and is constantly learning new things. Every day I watch them face things that feel completely insurmountable.

‘But you can remember and say: ‘I know this seems really hard right now, but trust me, it’ll get really easy soon.’ I can show myself the same grace as a founder. There is no such thing as perfect. ‘I can make mistakes too.’

The As Ever founder added that she loves being able to ‘do both’ – balancing motherhood and her career.

‘I think the moment you start making all your personal decisions based on outside judgments, you lose your authenticity,’ he said.

Meghan added that her boundaries became ‘stronger’ when she entered the ‘public eye’.

“You find different ways to protect yourself, whether it’s self-preservation or just growing,” she told the outlet.

Elsewhere in the story, writer Kaitlyn Greenidge also interviewed two of Meghan’s famous friends: tennis player Serena Williams and entrepreneur Kelly Zajfen.

Williams talked about how easy it was to talk to Meghan.

The Duchess also modeled a Balenciaga creation for the spread, showing off a striking sleeveless red dress from the luxury design house that featured a dramatic cape over one shoulder.

“We love a good mimosa,” Williams told the outlet. ‘We can talk for a hundred hours, it feels like 10 minutes have passed and it’s like we never stop smiling.’

Zajfen added of the former Suits star: ‘He’s funny. ‘I think this might be surprising to people.’

Zajfen also shared how much support Meghan gave him and his family after his nine-year-old son passed away due to Covid-19 and viral meningitis in 2022.

Meghan’s appearance on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar follows her appearance on the digital cover of New York Magazine’s The Cut in 2022.

In the story, she posed for numerous photos at her home in Montecito, California, where she lives with Prince Harry and their two children.