A British designer has revealed how support from the Princess of Wales led to an “incredible” rise in sales, allowing them to raise £15,000 for charity.
The year after Kate’s wedding, market analyst Mintel estimated that the ‘Kate Effect’ was responsible for a £1bn increase in public spending, and although attention is now focused on Meghan Markle’s impact on fashion brands, Kate’s influence shows no signs of slowing down.
It’s a phenomenon supported by EARSASS founder Sophie McGown from Perthshire, who revealed that when Kate wore the Issy star earrings, which pay tribute to Sophie’s 17-year-old niece, who committed suicide last year after battling depression, there was a global sales boom.
Sophie told FEMAIL: ‘My team member Jaz and I were like a little factory with all these orders coming in.
‘I still can’t believe we got through all that, but we did. It was phenomenal, just the two of us and we really put an incredible structure into the business to run it and raise so much money for charity.
EARSASS has raised £15k for a mental health charity after the Princess of Wales wore one of its designs. (Pictured: Kate hugging Issy’s mother Sarah Renton in May last year)
‘Issy’s mom and Issy’s friends came and helped us pack. “It was a very special moment to keep Issy and her legacy alive, and she just went global.”
During a visit to Maidenhead in May, where Issy played rugby, Kate Middleton, 42, shared a sweet moment with Issy’s mother and Sophie’s cousin, Sarah Renton, who gave her the earrings and hugged her.
“Kate was very moved by all this and by the strength of the club,” Sophie said in a conversation with FEMAIL.
It was a gathering that generated “mind-blowing” support from the royals, with Kate wearing them during a visit to Birmingham on World Mental Health Day 2023, boosting sales and leading EARSASS to raise £15,000 for the organization BraveMind charity.
Speaking about Issy, Sophie recalled: “She had really struggled with her mental health, especially during lockdown, and she really struggled to get through it.
“So for her age group, being taken out of her social bubble and then (having to) just stay home, it was the most wrong thing to do… and that obviously really impacted her.”
‘She was the most amazing human I ever met. He was definitely supposed to be somewhere else, and on April 29, he took his own life after struggling for too long with his mental health and depression.
‘It was horrible. It was simply the worst moment of our entire family’s lives to receive that phone call, and the night before, she sent us all a message, telling us how much she loved us.
The Princess of Wales is seen wearing Issy Star earrings at Factory Works in Birmingham last year.
17-year-old Issy (pictured) tragically took her own life after battling depression during lockdown.
Kate is pictured when she met Issy’s mother Sarah Renton in May last year and was given the earrings.
EARSASS designer Sophie McGown (pictured) is rebranding the company to focus on mental health awareness.
“It was a really, really, really heartbreaking moment. And she was just our angel, absolutely in our family. She was a great support in everything. She was very supportive of EARSASS and came and helped me make earrings.
After the tragic loss, Sophie created Issy earrings as a tribute to her niece, with £5 from each purchase going to mental health charity BraveMind.
Sophie was completely unaware of the level of support the earrings would soon receive. She explained: ‘Kate came to Maidenhead Rugby Club, which is where Issy was an incredible rugby coach as well as a player. So is his mother, Sarah.
“This was all part of the Shaping Us campaign that Kate and William are very involved in, which is about getting children into sport at a very young age, (because) they believe it really shapes and helps their mental health.
during the During her visit to Maidenhead Rugby Club in May, the Princess of Wales shared a sweet moment with Issy’s mother and Sophie’s cousin, Sarah Renton, who presented her with the earrings.
The royal was visibly moved by his interaction with Ms Renton, who coaches under-14s at the club, and put his arm around the mum before giving her a warm hug.
Kate wore the earrings during a visit to Birmingham with Prince William on World Mental Health Day last year, where they attended a summit focused on young people’s mental wellbeing.
Sophie recalled: “On World Mental Health Day last year, he clearly waited and knew what he was going to do and wore them in honor of Issy, and we didn’t really think he would, you know, I mean, certainly not.” . necessarily that day.
“We were all thinking, right, she would wear them one day, but it went to the side, and then obviously it happened, and it was just mind-blowing.”
‘For charities we have raised just over £15,000 so far. The money goes to education. “The charity is educating people in schools, rugby clubs, universities and football clubs to spot the signs, and is running suicide awareness courses with individuals, so they become suicide leaders.”
The Princess of Wales later invited the jewelery designer, who created the Issy Star earrings (pictured as Kate) in memory of 17-year-old Issy Phipps, to her carol concert.
Issy, a budding rugby player who played for Maidenhead RFC, took her own life in April last year after battling depression.
Sophie, who designed a pair of earrings in memory of her niece Issy Phipps, revealed on X last year that she was a guest at Kate’s Carol concert.
In light of World Mental Health Day on Thursday, EARSASS will launch Issy Star in rose gold, marking a rebranding of the company, which will now focus on “supporting mental health”.
Sophie explained: ‘We have all these amazing words and quotes that we are going to post, like strength. We want to have a dedicated page on our website with a set of tools. It will include links and support so people can get support.
‘We’re not saying we’re mental health professionals, but we’re going to structure (the brand) around where you can go for support.
“We will continue to support Brave Mind with £5 for every pair of earrings sold, which we will continue to do.”
‘We just hope she (Kate) can wear them again. You know, it might be a tradition for her to do that now on World Mental Health Day, but we just don’t know, just like we didn’t know last time.
In 2023, in another gesture of support for Issy’s family, Sophie was included on the very special guest list at Westminster Abbey’s carol service.
Posting a photo of her invitation on “I am honored to receive such wonderful recognition of support.”