What colour is nude? Lingerie brand Naja launches underwear for all skin types

The word nude in fashion has remains a contested issue as to who the term is referring to and catering for. In another progressive step towards a more diverse fashion market, US lingerie brand Naja have announced the launch of their new 'Nude for all' lingerie range with a multi-tonal line that aims to cater for all races and ethnicities.

The brand worked with #womennotobjects founding advertising agency Badger and Winters, who specialise in female focused campaigns, to promote the campaign with real shades of nude and real women rather than models. With slogans such as "One nude? So rude" the campaign is set to bring positive change to an industry that still in need of it.

The initial inspiration came in 2012 when the Naja's co-founder Caterina Girald was watching the Olympics and realised that US gymnast Gabby Douglas was wearing "nude" coloured shoes that did not match her skin. Along with her co-founder actress Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin), it took two years for the Naja brand to be born in 2014 as a sustainable brand that hired female heads of families and single mothers to work in an ethical factory in Colombia.

It took until now to perfect the nude underwear collection that has just launched this week. Girald started her research by buying a plethora of cosmetics and, as she told Elle US, narrowed the shades down to 23 colours and made up lingerie sets in each shade. She then put up an ad on Craigslist for real women to come and try them in order to help narrow the range down to the seven shades that are available today.

As well as being available in seven shades, you can also pick from three seamless styles in cup sizes up to an E and band sizes from 32 to 40.

"Why try to fit into someone else's skin when you can shine in your own?" the brand says on its website, and they stick to this. They even have a match chart that selects your colour based on the make up shade you buy.

"We started Nude For All because we believed it was time to change the idea that there is only one nude. Stay tuned for more shades and sizes!"

Naja join a select group of designers who have taken a U-turn on the previous acceptance of one shade of light 'nude', with the likes of hosiery and lingerie brand Nubian Skin embracing multi tonal nude products as more recently the luxury shoe designer Christian Louboutin, who released a range of nude heels and flats in seven varying shades.

Whilst there is a long way to go before the rest of the fashion industry embraces this inclusive policy, Naja are paving the way for others to follow suit.

www.naja.co