London Has Fallen actress Angela Bassett was on hand for PaleyFest in Los Angeles as she indulged in a little promo for her hit tv show American Horror Story. She smized for the cameras while uplifting a $495 Veronica Beard Black One-Sleeve Side Zip Ponte Dress and matching sultry sandals.
This form-fitting number boasts zip detailing, a long sleeve and a sleek silhouette.
To cop your own version, see additional purchasing details here.
With Women’s History Month underway, what better way to celebrate #blackgirlmagic than through profiles of phenomenal women who have launched entrepreneurial ventures in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle? First up is Ade Hassan, founder & CEO of Nubian Skin.
If you haven’t yet heard of Nubian Skin, it’s time to get formally acquainted! The British Brand is dedicated to creating skin-tone lingerie and hosiery for women of color. Launched in 2014, Nubian Skin has grown at tremendous speed and shows no signs of stopping yet!
Headquartered in London, Nubian Skin boasts wholesale distribution in the United States, Canada, Europe, Nigeria, and even the Middle East, which is a formidable feat for an early-stage startup. But how exactly did Ade begin? She said, “The motivation was born out of a need…going to the office, if you’re wearing a dress and you want to wear pantyhose, for black women, the default option is black. Finding pantyhose in my skin tone was so difficult and I had always wanted to start a business, specifically in fashion.”
However, not having worked in fashion before, Ade took quite an unconventional approach to getting her bearings in the industry and building her first business. Born in England, raised in Nigeria, and educated in the United States, Ade has had her fair share of global influences. She shared, “Always growing up, I had been creatively inclined, but I was also pretty academic. Growing up partially in Nigeria, fashion is such a huge thing and you can have tailors make anything you can sketch.” Despite her childhood creative yearnings, Ade studied Economics and English at Duke University in North Carolina and soon afterwards, returned to England to receive a Masters degree in Finance and Development at the School of Oriental and African Studies.
A few stints in consulting and investment banking, Ade felt the itch to live in Paris (who hasn’t?!) and moved to France for a year “to study French and take pattern cutting classes.” When she came back to England to pursue a familiar consulting gig, she began to develop the concept for Nubian Skin.
Intrigued, I asked her how did she fund the business and her response was quite interesting: “I actually went back into finance for 3 years before launching Nubian Skin. The last year, I worked my full-time job and then part-time in the 3 months before the brand launched…after that, I quit and have been fully dedicated to Nubian Skin since.” In all, it took 3 years of saving funds from brand conception to launch. Never having accepted outside funding, she utilized her personal funds and friends/family money to get started. Her diligence, focus, and patience certainly paid off! She truly believes “the best way to see if your heart is [dedicated to your startup] is to put your money where your mouth is.”
When Nubian Skin launched, it truly went viral and part of that is because of the strong visuals and social media presence Ade personally crafted. Today, Nubian Skin has over 66,000 Instagram followers. She stated, “When I decided to launch [the brand], I slept with a notebook beside me because I would wake up in the middle of the nights with all of these ideas. I knew what I wanted [the brand] to look like…I had a very clear view. I was getting my nails done in Shoreditch [East London] and I asked [the nail salon] if they randomly did photo shoots and they did! That space was perfect.” She continued, “Getting the models was such a fun thing… we went to model agencies and said we need to see all of your models of color, and we need 4 of them, not just 1! We interviewed the models based on their looks, but also on their personalities.” Her instincts were spot-on because her branding assets have been some of the most shared this year on social media, earning her the 2015 Fashion Entrepreneur of the Year at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in London among other accolades.
Her advice for budding fashion entrepreneurs: “1) Be really really sure about what you’re going to do because it is so much more work than you could ever imagine. You must 110% believe in [your idea]…belief in the idea is key; 2) If it is an industry you don’t have experience in, get advice from people who are experts….if you have to pay for that advice, pay for that advice. That will be the best money you’ll ever spend; and 3) Accept failure and acknowledge that you are going to make mistakes!”
Ade Hassan (left)
Wise words indeed! The brand has since expanded into Curve hosiery, been featured in O Magazine, and has sights set on becoming readily available in more markets for women of color everywhere. My final question to Ade, what do you do with £20 on a Saturday in London? Her answer: “likely something food-related, getting a burger at Shake Shack and wanting to go out dancing!” If you want to learn more about Nubian Skin, check out their site here and Instagram account @nubianskin. We’ll be rooting for their success!
What do you think of this Breaking Into Fashion interview?
Hey Bombers and Bombshells! We’re starting the week off with a bang with our Fashion Bombshell of the Day, Natasha from Birmingham, UK:
She says, “My name is Natasha and I am a Blogger from Birmingham UK.”
“I would describe my style as relaxed and feminine while still keeping things still fun and interesting.” “I try to keep things relatively simple and I draw inspiration from a multitude of places and people i.e. social media, magazines and just the street style I see on a day to day basis.”
“I don’t tend to follow trends too much but I have a soft spot for menswear and sportswear inspired styles and silhouettes.”
“My Fashion crushes include Karrueche Tran, Kourtney Kardashian, Kendall Jenner and Olivia Palermo.”
“I love how these girls can make fashion so effortless but still quirky and interesting and that’s what I aim to go for when putting outfits together.”
Werk, Natasha! I think your wardrobe definitely is a great mix of pieces, and is cool and put-together without trying too hard. Love it. You guys can stay up on Natasha’s stylings on IG:@tashpantz. Tell us, what do you think of Natasha from Birmingham, UK?
Fashion Bombshell of the Day is a feature showcasing the singular style of Fashion Bomb Readers. Send your name, location, a description of your style, and 5-10 clear, unfiltered, head-to-toe pictures of 5-10 different outfits (no collages) to Bombshell@FashionBombDaily.com. Images submitted will be featured on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any of our social media platforms. Comments can be harsh, so bring your A game! Please be advised: once published, pictures will not be removed or taken down.
Plus Sized Bombshells, rejoice! Shop High Society has loads of chic threads for curvy women with style. Transition from winter to spring in their $120 “It Goes Down in the Denim” Coat:
The knee length coat comes in classic blue denim and features a trench coat silhouette, orange contrast stitching, waist pockets with button closure, a front button closure, and a belt closure at the waist with gold buckle hardware.
It’s a super cute piece! Wear it with a skirt and heels for work or matching denim for the weekend.
The dress features a V neckline and flares into a beautiful A-line skirt. Although classically refined, it also entails dotted rose-print throughout.
As always, I think Michelle Obama did no wrong in welcoming in Florals, and this dress is bomb!Although it’s almost sold out, if you have the coins you can purchase the dress from Bergdorf Goodman here.
So what do you think of the dress? Would you buy it?
Kerry Washington tended to her duties as a Movado Brand Ambassador at Baselworld. For the occasion, she showed off her toned legs in a Monse Spring 2016 Black Strapless Button Accented Dress:
Her dress was paired with black tights and black ankle-strap sandals. Kerry’s frock differs slightly from the runway version.
So the Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion went down last night. Did you tune in?
In addition to the prolific shade, the ladies brought loads of style. The color scheme was popping, no?
Take a look at who wore what: Phaedra Parks in Theia
Phaedra Parks paired gold makeup with a sequin adorned ‘long petal’ gown by Theia. The floor grazing piece has a scoop neck and a low back.
The dress is now on sale for $770 from $1,295. Get it here.
Porsha Williams in Charbel Zoe
Her dress melded well into Zoe’s aesthetic of sparkly sheer glam.
Cynthia Bailey in Dior
Cynthia Bailey was sitting pretty in a one shoulder Dior dress. Kenya Moore in Marchesa
Kenya Moore opted for a beaded plush dress by Marchesa Couture.
