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Lana Marks has been selected to be the next U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, per an early report by Steve Herman.
Marks is a handbag designer from Palm Beach who was born in South Africa but has not lived there for 40 years.
Marks has not yet publicly commented on the announcement, though she did comment on the rumors about her potential ambassadorship last month, saying, “I can’t comment on that right now.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Marks Is Seen Often at Mar-A-Lago, & Her Daughter Was Even Married There
Fashion designer @LanaMarks is @POTUS choice to be ambassador to South Africa.
Marks is known to frequent POTUS’ private Palm Beach club, Mar-a-Lago, and her daughter, Tiffany Marks, was even married at the club in 2010 to Simon Philip Isaacs. There’s been speculation over Marks becoming the next ambassador to South Africa for over a month now, with speculation growing over Marks’ legitimate candidacy for the possession.
Marks is not the only Mar-a-Lago frequenter who has been up for top positions in the Trump Administration, according to The Palm Beach Daily News. Other notable rumors include Robin Bernstein, a founding member of Mar-a-Lago, being tapped for the ambassadorship to the Dominican Republic, and Patrick Park, a notable philanthropist who was offered the ambassadorship to Austra but turned it down due to family commitments.
Marks Specializes in High-End Handbags That Sell For Anywhere From $10,000 to $400,000
Marks is known for her extremely high-end handbags, one of which is called the Cleopatra Clutch, which is adorned in diamonds and sells in limited batches every year for up to $400,000. The Lana Marks fashion line is, according to its site, “synonymous with the most luxurious, fashion forward handbags in the world, crafted from such exotic leathers as alligator, crocodile, ostrich and lizard”.
Marks started her handbag line in Palm Beach in 1987, and has since provided handbags for celebrities from Princess Diana to Sarah Jessica Parker, according to The Palm Beach Daily News.
Marks Speaks Afrikaans, But Has Not Lived in South Africa in 40 Years
It’s unclear how much time Marks has spent in South Africa since she moved to the States 40 years ago. Marks was technically born in East London, South Africa, and attended college in South Africa before eventually moving to the States.