When Birdies founders Bianca Gates and Marisa Sharkey launched their line of luxury slippers designed for indoor entertaining, they were just dipping their toes into the waters of a lifestyle brand. A little over two years later, they’ve raised $2 million from prominent venture capital firms and strategic angel investors, and just opened a new boutique on Union Street. And their Blackbird style happens to be a favorite of the future Mrs. Harry, Meghan Markle.
“Shortly after we launched, we thought about having an influencer, and we saw Meghan Markle and we were just like, ‘She’s it,’” Gates says. “She just embodies this feminist, beautiful, ambitious, humanitarian aura that we felt so deeply connected to as a brand.” When Markle and Prince Harry announced their engagement on Cyber Monday, Birdies had already exceeded sales from the previous year by 8 a.m. — clearly the “Markle effect” in full effect.