Hosiery and lingerie for women of color

As a woman of color, the most frustrating thing is finding products in nude that fit our skin tone. The struggle ranges from finding the right foundation to trying to find the closest match in anything nude. Nadine Peisker said no more! Through her business Ownbrown UK Ltd in LONDON, Nadine transformed her personal solution into every woman of color solution. She is giving women of color an actual selection of nude in hosiery and lingerie. She has the Boss Babes who need nude for the workplace and she also has the Fierce Fashionistas who need to perfect their fit. That’s why we deemed Nadine to be Queen of the Nude.

What inspired you to start your business and why?: As a black woman, I was always frustrated when it came to moments when I needed to find nude hosiery. We had a dress code in the law firm I was working for and I needed nude hosiery to meet clients or go to court. I didn’t want my clothing options to only be black tights or trousers. As one of the few black female lawyers in Switzerland, I did not want to be seen for my body, nor show off my underwear in such an environment. I wanted to be seen as and treated as professional as my male and female counterparts. I trawled through all major retailers to try and find a lingerie that fit my skin tone and found nothing.”

I discussed the issue with my family and friends and I quickly realized that I wasn’t alone in experiencing this “clothing” challenge. The fact of the matter is that I belong to the 85% of women in this world who are women of colour. We are not part of the nude hosiery and lingerie narrative.

My analysis of the situation also showed that brown skin comes in different shades, as not everyone has my specific complexion. So, I wanted to solve the problem not only for myself but also for other women of colour. On the basis of the findings, my entrepreneurial spirit woke up and Ownbrown was created in June 2015.

What does your company stand for?: We are driven by the love of freedom, the freedom to be and have the right things done. Nude hosiery and lingerie are ways of bringing more freedom to women of colour. I want to offer brown skin women the opportunity to wear what they want, whenever they want. Ownbrown is an invitation for all women of colour to rise up, shine, and stand up proudly in their own skin. This is what we call the freedom to be the ''best version of the person you are''.

How do you create the life you want?: I follow the saying. I surround myself with amazing people. I was lucky to start off with a core team of passionate professionals who helped me shape Ownbrown as it is right now.

 

Where do you find inspiration?: I look at the world with curiosity and with a love for life. I find inspiration through the amazing women I meet and through my own journey. Visiting museums, art galleries, flipping through magazines and Pinterest are sources of inspiration too.

In order to clear my mind, I also try to disconnect from our virtual world with so much electronics. I love to jump into nature and gain inspiration from colours, sounds, and experiences too.

How has your business made you a better person?: Being an entrepreneur has made me a better person as it full of challenges and forces you to get out your comfort zone and try new things. All of these have made me more humble and more empathetic to the world around me. It calls for a high level of understanding too of the value and worth of things and people.

What makes you HUMAN?: I'm human because you are and people are beautiful human beings. I am human because I understand my limits. I am an entrepreneur, yes, but I am also a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend. I value these relationships too and take time to nurture them, I am not all work work work.