Ade Hassan, The Nubian Queen

Ade Hassan is a 30 years old woman whose path shows us that anything is possible in this world as long as you put your mind into it. The british lady did not hesitate to quit her career in finance to pursue her real passion, the fashion industry, when she first thought of the concept out of her frustration.

Why did you create Nubian Skin?
I created Nubian Skin because I couldn’t find what I was looking for in shops! I wanted nude lingerie and hosiery – but it simply wasn’t available. I knew I couldn’t be the only one who felt the same way – so I decided to create it!

How involved are you in the designing process?
I don’t have a fashion background even though I did take sewing and pattern cutting classes several years ago. Since the designs are quite basic, I could handle it so far. I had a very clear idea of what I wanted, so I worked directly with the manufacturer to create the design, colours and look that I wanted.

How did you approach your color range?
I did a lot of research at makeup counters that carried products for darker skin tones such as M.A.C., Fashion Fair and BlackUp to see their best-sellers amongst women with darker skin. Based on my findings I then selected my skintone pantone colours for the bras. Tights actually required significantly more time because you can’t simply replicate the colour of a solid fabric to a sheer fabric! It even involved me boiling some of the colours I wasn’t satisfied with in massive pots of tea and coffee to get the perfect colour… We got there in the end!

Will you expand to France and Africa?
Our products are currently available in Nigeria, but we’d love to expand.