When Meghan Markle announced her investment in the luxury handbag brand Cesta Collective earlier this year, she praised its "ethical standards" and celebrated the opportunities it purportedly provided to women in Rwanda.
However, a detailed investigation reveals troubling allegations that the Rwandan artisans behind the high-end bags are paid shockingly low wages, while the company's founders enjoy affluent lifestyles.
Rwandan Women Paid as Little as 10 Pence an Hour
The women crafting these luxury handbags, which retail for over £700, reportedly earn as little as 82p for an eight-hour workday, equating to just over 10p an hour.
Many must buy their own materials, cover transport costs, and even rent workspaces, further eating into their meagre earnings.
Some are not paid for bags deemed "substandard" by the company, according to Benon Mugisha, the operations manager of All Across Africa, the intermediary organisation responsible for overseeing the weavers.
A weaver named Illuminée Bayisabe, 60, stated that after taxes and expenses, she earns £2.48 for weaving a small crossbody bag, which takes her three days to complete.
In contrast, the same bag is sold for £724 in the UK, a staggering markup that underscores the vast disparity between the artisans' wages and the retail price.
Another artisan, Didacienne Musengimana, 30, shared that she receives £9.22 for crafting a larger bag, the Taco Tote, which sells for £863.
Despite working tirelessly to complete these intricate designs, many women live in cramped, basic housing with corrugated metal roofs, far removed from the luxury image Cesta markets to its affluent clientele.
"We use our income to supplement what we earn from farming, but it's difficult," Musengimana said. "I can't say the money is bad, but I do wish it was more."
Founders' Privilege vs. Workers' Struggle
Erin Ryder and Courtney Weinblatt Fasciano, the New York-based founders of Cesta Collective, lead lives far removed from the artisans' reality.
Ryder, a graduate of the prestigious Parsons School of Design in New York and Paris, once interned at Chanel.
Social media posts show her enjoying skiing holidays and luxurious trips to Rwanda, where she oversees the weaving operations.
Fasciano, who attended an Ivy League university and is the daughter of a Harvard professor, previously held high-ranking positions in Marie Claire magazine and the shoe brand Loeffler Randall.
She resides in a £692,000 Brooklyn apartment with her husband, a former Goldman Sachs executive.
The disparity between the founders' wealth and lifestyle and the artisans' conditions has fuelled criticism, with some branding the company's operations "poverty porn."
Controversial Claims and Responses
Before Meghan Markle's financial involvement, Cesta Collective claimed on its website to pay Rwandan women "500-700 per cent more than the national average."
However, this statement was quietly removed after Markle's investment was announced in August.
The company later said the change reflected its "commitment to refining how they communicate."
A spokesperson for Cesta Collective insisted that the women set their own wages in partnership with All Across Africa and emphasised that the company had acted "in good faith."
"Recent allegations are an attempt to discredit that work with speculative information that has been unethically manipulated," the spokesperson said.
However, artisans interviewed by reporters shared that their earnings vary significantly depending on orders.
Some months, there is no work at all. Moreover, deductions are made if a bag fails to meet stringent quality standards.
The women are not full-time employees of Cesta Collective, nor do they own shares in the company.
They are paid per bag, meaning their income is precarious and heavily dependent on fluctuating demand.
Meghan Markle's Role
Markle, who became the company's first equity investor earlier this year, described Cesta Collective as "incredible" in a public announcement.
She highlighted the "impact" the company had on the lives of Rwandan women and said that such "ethical standards" were crucial to her decision to invest.
While her endorsement significantly boosted sales, critics argue that Markle's association inadvertently glosses over the harsh realities faced by the artisans.
One artisan summed up her plight succinctly: "We are proud of what we make, but we hope one day our pay will reflect our work."
Calls for Accountability
The Mail on Sunday investigation has drawn attention to the disparity between Cesta Collective's branding as an ethical, empowering business and the lived experiences of the women behind the bags.
British fashion influencer Georgie James criticised the company for exploiting Rwandan artisans while profiting from their stories to attract wealthy Western consumers.
"This isn't ethical fashion," James said. "It's a marketing strategy that exploits the most vulnerable for profit."
As scrutiny mounts, activists are calling on Cesta Collective and its investors, including Meghan Markle, to ensure fair compensation for the artisans and greater transparency in their operations.
For now, the brand continues to market its handbags as symbols of empowerment. However, the women weaving them are left asking when the reality will match the rhetoric.
