With over seven billion people in the world, but only seven established shades of nude, something is clearly amiss. Hosiery brand Heist is addressing this by launching the Nude Project – the world’s first fully inclusive, data-driven nude palette for fashion. We explore the insights behind Heist’s mission to create inclusive tights.
“Women’s skin is so much more diverse than the fashion industry acknowledges,” says Ellie Howard, head of community at Heist Studios. “We currently do two shades of nude: ‘light’ and ‘dark’, which is obviously nowhere near good enough.” As part of the Nude Project, the brand is asking women to upload a selfie of their forearm in order to collect a range of skin tones. Then, Heist will use an algorithmic model to create a new, broader palette of dye recipes and a more diverse line of tights, which it will launch next year.
Similar moves are being made in the lingerie market, where the diversity of people’s bodies is forcing companies to ensure they stock a range of sizes as well as skin colours. Nubian Skin and BeingU are dedicated to creating nude lingerie for everyone, catering to women of colour in particular. And even bigger brands are paying attention; in 2017, Target launched its nude lingerie and hosiery in four shades.
Heist's mission is “to create the world’s first truly inclusive nude palette. One that works for everyone.” Yet it isn't the first brand to have put ethnic inclusivity first; MatchCo and Melange Beauty are ensuring that their customisable make-up offerings suit their diverse user bases. Heist also hopes to create a new norm, rather than be an exception to the rule, and is going to share its database with other brands in the hope that they will follow its lead. It's a desire shared by 82% of women in the US and UK who say it’s difficult to find underwear similar to their skin tone.
