Meghan takes a leaf out of Kate's book - as she upcycles scarlet gown

Meghan Markle took a leaf from the Princess of Wales's book yesterday evening and upcycled a striking red Carolina Herrera dress to the LA Children's Hospital gala.

The Duchess of Sussex, 43, previously donned the gown at a 2021 gala in New York City to celebrate the military on the eve of Veterans Day in the US and Armistice Day in Britain.

For yesterday evening's charity event, the mother-of-two slightly altered the $5,990 (£4,565) poppy red dress, removing excess material from the train to give it a slinkier silhouette.

It's a move typically associated with Kate Middleton, who has upheld a thrifty reputation throughout her royal career thanks to her love of re-wearing garments and accessories.

Kate has upcycled ensembles on multiple occasions, sending a message to millions that you can wear the same gorgeous gown more than once and still look fabulous. 

Yesterday evening, Meghan followed in the footsteps of her sister-in-law and increased her sustainability credentials by rewearing a striking Caroline Herrera dress.

In 2021, she cut a stylish figure at the 'Salute to Freedom' event in the same gown, featuring a deep neckline, pleated skirt and thigh-high split. 

The mother-of-two completed her glamorous ensemble with a pair of matching £696 slingback heels by Giuseppe Zanotti featuring crystal-embellished buckle detail.

And on Saturday, the mother-of-two caught all eyes as she re-wore the bold red ensemble by the Venezuelan designer to the event. 

She greeted the young fans before preparing for a star-studded night featuring a performance by Demi Lovato and appearances by presenters Kaley Cuoco, Jamie Lee Curtis and Colin Hanks.

The Princess of Wales has paved the way for Meghan, who started recycling her red carpet dresses in 2012 before going on to tweak her favourite frocks to give them a new lease of life.

Kate previously spoke about her views on the environment when presenting an award at the Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony in 2021.

She said: 'Nature is vital to us all... But for too long we've neglected our wild spaces and now we're facing a number of tipping points.

'If we don't act now we will permanently destabilise our planet and rob our children of the future they deserve.'

She recently proved that she was just as on-trend and stylish as the A-listers surrounding her at the Baftas, as she opted for a recycled white-and-black Alexander McQueen one-shoulder gown for the glamorous event, which she first wore in 2019.

The reused number had undergone some minor alterations, with the floral detailing on the shoulder swapped for a sweeping train of material.

She teamed the elegant gown with trendy black opera gloves and a black clutch bag and ultimately gave her old dress and new lease of life.

While Meghan rarely alters her previously worn dresses, she has been known to rewear clothes on numerous occasions. 

When she made a glamorous appearance at the One Young World summit at the Royal Albert Hall in October 2019, it was in a dress she had first debuted the January before.

The Duchess of Sussex stunned in a recycled £107 purple Babaton by Aritzia gown, previously worn on a visit to Hamilton Square in Birkenhead in January when she was six months pregnant.

In the later engagement, she paired the bold dress with navy court heels and donned minimal accessories - including a gold bangle and delicate bracelet, as well as her wedding and engagement rings.

Meghan last wore the purple gown with a statement red coat from Sentaler, paying tribute to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, who was a fan of the bold colour palette.

This year, during her quasi-royal tour of Nigeria with Prince Harry, Meghan marked Mother's Day in America by wearing her Carolina Herrera 'Yellow Silk Overlay Column Gown', which she wore in 2021 when she announced her pregnancy with Princess Lilibet.

On Valentine's Day that year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed they were expecting their second child with a monochrome snap.

Taken remotely by long-time friend and photographer Misan Harriman, the loved-up couple posed in nature while Harry cradled Meghan's bump.

For the event in Nigeria, the Duchess looked as elegant as ever as she arrived at the State Governor House in Lagos, in the £3,198 ($3,990) silk dress, which she matched with a classic pair of nude slingback leather sandals.

Meghan also donned the Caroline Herrera dress on another special occasion - Prince Archie's first birthday, as shown in the Netflix series, Harry & Meghan, alongside her mother, Doria Ragland, and Prince Harry.

It comes after Meghan Markle revealed how she has been building her investment portfolio - telling the New York Times that her latest addition is lavish bag brand Cesta Collective.

The Duchess of Sussex was recently snapped carrying a purse from the company which sells purses handwoven by women in Rwanda and are later finished in Italy.  She showed off the $750 (£568) accessory during her trip to Colombia with husband Prince Harry, 40.

A number of brands Meghan has been spotted wearing before have noted how sales increased substantially following her endorsement. A notable example was in 2017, when a bag from Scottish brand Strathberry sold out online in 11 minutes after Meghan wore it during an engagement during then-fiance Harry.

Finding out about the sales boost the brand received as a result of her wearing one of its items 'changed everything in terms of how [Meghan] then looked at putting an outfit together'.

She explained to the NYT that when she knows there will be a 'global spotlight' on what she is wearing, she will 'support designers that [she has] really great friendships with, and smaller, up-and-coming brands that haven’t gotten the attention that they should be getting'. 

Her impact on Strathberry's sales was so significant that the brand was reportedly able to expand its workforce, meaning her endorsement can be of significant financial value.

Another brand that experienced the Meghan effect is London-based lab-grown diamond company Kimaï. In 2019, the then-royal was photographed wearing its £630 Felicity earrings, which she bought herself.

According to Kimaï co-founders Jessica Warch and Sidney Neuhau, this sparked sales of $1.2 million (£945k). 

The duo explained their profits over the past few years and how Meghan played a significant part in spiking sales.

Jessica said: 'We've launched without investment, and then two months after our launch we got Meghan Markle to wear our pieces, which enabled us to grow the revenue significantly, and from there we raised $1.2 million.'

The brand, which only uses stones made in a lab, as well as only using recycled gold, went on to secure a record-breaking investment from Dragon's Den star Steven Bartlett, who injected £250,000 in exchange for a three per cent equity stake - his largest sum to date.