Love & Nude
defines the colour
'Nude'
in an
increasingly
diverse world.
Nude undergarments are an essential part of the wardrobe for many women. For all intents and purposes, purchasing an intimate should be a straightforward process for everybody. Yet, this wasn’t so– to find a skin-tone undergarment in particular– for many women, especially women of colour. Like many exasperated with the absurdity of painting a bra and panty was Chantal Carter–she fabric painted her undergarments to match her skin colour.
It felt hard and uncomfortable against her skin, but she didn’t care because she wanted that look–the coveted nude look. So why is there no nude for me? Carter asserted that no one should have to go through that rigamarole to have something to match their skin tone.
The absence and misrepresentation in the fashion industry for everyday essentials for women of colour was not new to her. Carter grew up around fashion– her mom worked in the rag trade, the garment industry– was always going to sample sales before anybody knew what samples were. So she pretty much knew that she wanted to be, first a buyer and then a stylist from a young age. Later found her way of becoming a stylist in Toronto. That is when she saw whenever a dark model would come in for photoshoots; they didn’t have any nude undergarments of the expected standards, unlike their fair-skin counterparts did. From her professional experience in the fashion and beauty industry for over a decade– as a fashion editor, wardrobe stylist, and product developer–she noticed that the industry was missing the consideration for women of colour. Her background in fashion and seeing what was missing inspired Carter to redefine what the nude meant.
Brand’s lingerie makers at their fair wage facility in South America. | Image @tychonxcarter
“Own Your Tone” with Love & Nudes:
Website: Loveandnudes.com
Social Media: @loveandnude