Rarely does one size ever fit all, right? The same can be said for the color nude. For many women, having nude undergarments is an essential part of their wardrobe, but if you’re a woman of color, finding lingerie and hosiery that matches your skin tone can be somewhat of a daunting task.
Thankfully for us, Ade Hassan decided it was time to redefine what nude means and launched Nubian Skin last October. Headquartered in London, Nubian Skin is a collection of hosiery and lingerie specifically tailored for women of color. Their motto: “Empowering Women. Embracing Our Colour.”
There are four shades for women to choose from: “Café au Lait” – the lightest shade, “Caramel” – for medium-light complexions, “Cinnamon – for medium to dark complexions, and “Berry,” which is the darkest shade. What’s even better is that consumers can find their perfect match by aligning each shade with foundation colors from popular makeup brands, including MAC and Bobbi Brown. Pretty amazing, right? Furthermore, the bras, panties and hosiery are available in several styles and sizes range from 30B-36DD and S-XL, but due to popular demand, Ade is working on bringing larger sizes (more on that later!) in the near future.
BlackDoctor.org recently had the opportunity to speak with Ade Hassan about empowering women, how she was able to fill a major hole in the market, as well as her plans to bring Nubian Skin to a department store near you:
BDO: People are absolutely in love with Nubian Skin. What was the inspiration behind it?
AH: Nubian Skin was essentially born out of frustration. I wanted a product that I couldn’t find in shops, so I decided to create it. I knew I couldn’t be the only one who felt the same way.
BDO: What would you say is your company’s main mission statement?
AH: Our philosophy is “Empowering women. Embracing Our Color.” I want women to really embrace their color because no matter what shade you are, it’s beautiful, and that is a very empowering concept.
BDO: Will you be expanding the line to include more skin tones and designs? I also heard there are plans to introduce to plus sizes. Is that true?
AH: We have listened to our customers and are looking at expanding our range in the very near future. Due to popular demand, we will be releasing larger back sizes this spring. Larger cup sizes will be available this autumn.
BDO: I know you’re based in London, but how do you plan on expanding your company’s reach in the near future?
AH: My dream is that Nubian Skin becomes a household name. I can’t wait for the day any woman of color walks into a department store and can pick up a pair of Nubian Skin tights or a bra.
BDO: How long did it take for you to create this line from start to finish? Tell us more about the process!
AH: I came up with the idea just over four years ago. After a lengthy period of thinking about the idea and figuring out the right time to start, I put the wheels in motion in May of last year. I had several ideas in the past and a few that I looked into moving forward with, but ultimately when this idea came into my head, it truly stuck. I realized it was something I needed and was so essential, that it had to be something other women of color would want.
The biggest hurdle to overcome at the start was finding a good quality manufacturer. As a new and small business, a lot of manufacturers simply didn’t respond to queries, and others were looking for incredibly high volumes, so it was tricky. Once you actually secure a manufacturer, it’s always a battle to manage expectations.
Over a year’s worth of research went into the color selection alone. No fabric will match anyone’s skin tone exactly, but the aim of having “a different kind of nude” is for women of color to have lingerie and hosiery that looks close to their skin color and disappears under sheer or light colored clothing. After a lot of talks with makeup counters and artists and testing on countless women, we decided four colors would cover the majority of our target market.
BDO: Could you tell me more about your background? Did you study business or are you a self-taught entrepreneur?
AH: Before starting Nubian Skin, I worked mainly in the financial services industry. I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur, and I’ve always wanted my business to be fashion related. When I took 15 months off work several years ago, I decided to take sewing and pattern cutting classes, which I really enjoyed.
BDO: What kind of feedback have you received from customers so far?
AH: Our feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. I’m honestly so grateful. We have been truly overwhelmed by the support from different communities of color and the mainstream media. It’s been wonderful to see how supportive so many women have been, and it’s amazing to get emails from women across the world just saying, “Thank you.”
Note: Nubian Skin is based in London but delivers worldwide.
For more on Nubian Skin, visit www.nubianskin.com and follow @nubianskin on Instagram.
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