Christian Louboutin gets it. As does Kylie Jenner. While the fashion and beauty industries remain far from inclusive, more and more high-end designers and cosmetics creators are acknowledging the reality that nude does not equal peach.
Unsurprisingly, the new generation of designers has proven even more progressive and forward thinking than many of their high-end peers and predecessors — we’re looking at you, the Row and Valentino. The rise of this refreshing wave of inclusive brands has been thrown into sharp effect by the ever-growing popularity of the neutral trend. But beyond just catering to the market, these young stars are deliberately designing for a more diverse audience, one with whom they personally identify.
Kanye West paved the way with his head-to-toe skin-color ensembles at Yeezy Season 1, which were shown on a highly diverse cast of models. But he’s far from alone on the suspended stage of diversity. Scroll down for four inspiring, inclusive new brands to follow today.
1. Telfar
TELFAR FW 2016 — THANK YOU TO @MILK @MADE FOR THE SUPPORT! Photo by @kouryangelo
A photo posted by @telfarglobal on
“I think that brown has always been around in a monochrome kind of way,” 31-year-old designer Telfar Clemens told Vogue, adding, “In a twenty-teens present, this is our recognition of what brown means—this monotone, desert, future kind of [look].” The rich shade of brown of which he speaks has been a calling-card of Telfar’s eponymous label since its 2004 launch.
2. Nubian Skin
“I was looking for something that I couldn’t find in shops, so I decided to create it,” Ade Hassan, founder of the two-year-old lingerie line, told the fashion bible. “It seemed ludicrous that nude was so narrowly defined.”
3. Matte
A favorite of Kim Kardashian West, Matte puts out knit crop tops, swimwear and spandex body-con pieces in predominately neutral colors. “I am very interested in remaining chill but sexy. That’s what all of my pieces are based around,” said Briana Wilson of her monochrome creations.
4. Omondi
Kenyan designer Recho Omondi (who spent large chunks of her childhood living in middle America), filled her third collection, which debuts this fall, with espresso, mahogany and near-ebony. She doesn’t take offense at other designer’s penchant for peach: “I’ve always liked brown, and I’ve always used that color,” she explained to Vogue. “Balenciaga didn’t use any people of color last [season]. And I’m like, So what? Who cares? Demna [Gvasalia] is from Georgia.” Rather, she understands the urge to instill one’s heritage in one’s designs: “When people ask me about women of color in my shows, for me, my brand is autobiographical.”
5. Naja.co
Catalina Girald, CEO and Founder of Naja, was first inspired to create this ethically manufactured and racially inclusive range of lingerie basics whilst watching gymnast Gabby Douglas compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics. She was wearing an ostensibly “nude” ankle wrap that didn’t match her skin tone. Something had to be done. Of her #NudeForAll collection, which debuted in May, the designer says, “I called the collection ‘Nude For All’ because I wanted it to be about every woman. I didn’t want it to be about singling out one specific race, ethnicity or color. It is about equality and it needed to be about every person.”
Here’s hoping we see more clothing for every person on the Spring 2017 runways.
[ Next: Tasteful Nudes: 21 Neutral Looks Done Right ]
[ via Vogue ]
