A new lingerie company is about to change the underwear landscape in the best way possible.
Meet Nubian Skin, a company that is redefining the meaning of "nude" thanks to their new collection of underwear and hoisery for women of colour.
Now, a nude bra and underwear are a staple in any woman's wardrobe, but for many women of colour, the task of finding undergarments to match their skin tone isn't easy. Tired of the difficulty of finding a basic bra, Nubian Skin's founder (who, according to Buzzfeed, declined to be named) launched the brand.
In a blog post on the brand's website, the founder notes, "My nude isn't the nude I see in shops."
The founder continues, "Despite the reality that women of colour have the same needs as all women when it comes to lingerie and hosiery (and spend the same of their hard-earned money), the industry simply doesn't cater to us. So, I thought, it’s time to rethink the definition of nude."
In the blog post, the struggle of finding the right "nude" bra to finding the makeup for a non-Caucasian skin tone—also a difficult feat considering the lack of diversity represented in the beauty world (like in fashion)—is discussed.
"Looking at the makeup industry, it took Eunice W. Johnson to create Fashion Fair Cosmetics in 1973 for black women to really have an adequate choice in finding makeup colours to suit them. In the 1990s and 2000s, mainstream brands began to realise the value of providing to women of colour, and despite the billions we spend on make up each year, there are still brands that have chosen not to provide an offering for us."
To sell only pale Caucasian tones as "nude" just doesn't make sense to us, especially in our diverse world, which is why we love the work Nubian Skin is doing. They're out to sell "a different kind of nude," and it's one we can stand behind.
And while we do think we need more brands like Nubian Skin in the fashion landscape, it should be noted that this isn't the first time a company has encouraged consumers to rethink their definitions of nude.
Last year, Christian Louboutin launched "The Nudes" collection, which featured his signature pumps in five different shades for different skin tones (from fair to dark).
Nubian Skin's collection will be available for purchase in October on their website.
