How Ade Hassan of Nubian Skin Turned Her Love of Lingerie Into A Booming Business
Everybody reaches a point in life when they discover their purpose.
There are a lucky few who know exactly what they want to be when they grow up from the moment they start grade school. Others find out in college after taking classes and joining clubs that help narrow down their interests. Then there are people who discovered their calling years later in the midst of seeking a solution to a problem. For Ade Hassan, it was the frustration of not finding lingerie and hosiery that matched her complexion that helped her discover that there was more to life than a poor selection of stockings.
Through her frustrations Nubian Skin was created, and Hassan began her mission of empowering women of color to embrace their skin tones through their hosiery. Having undergarments that are flattering to your skin tone is very important, and as women we love to feel sexy and confident through our clothing.
As Ade told xoNecole:
"Lingerie is the foundation of every woman's wardrobe. Being able to have something that matches your skin tone helps you express yourself, and it makes you feel more comfortable in your skin - which is something that every woman should be able to feel."
With over 100,000 followers on Instagram and support from celebrities like Kerry Washington, Nubian Skin is on the rise to becoming the go-to brand for everything lingerie and hosiery for women of color.
Talking to Ade, I was most inspired by her miraculous, yet successful, launch of her company. "I've always wanted to be an entrepreneur and I've always wanted to be in fashion - although that's not something that I've studied," says Ade. "I was working in a very corporate environment before Nubian Skin and there was always frustrations of either not finding panty hose that's my color or wearing shirts that were quite sheer, but not wanting to always wear a black camisole underneath. Or when you are in a business meeting and your strap is showing or you can tell that you have red bra under a white top; I didn't want that, I wanted nude. When I went into a shop and asked for that, they didn't have my color. I remember sitting at a desk and the idea just popped into my head, and I said 'why don't you just make it?' So I sent a text to my friend and told her I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up and that was the beginning of my journey."
After discovering her calling in 2011, Ade didn't actively start working on her business until 2013. She finally launched Nubian Skin in October of last year, and since then she has done pretty well for herself. Nubian Skin has products in five stores in the UK, two in Portugal, 21 stores in the U.S., and can be sold through nine websites online. In the U.S., Nubian Skin can be found in various Nordstrom stores in New York, Detroit, and DC just to name a few.
Although Ade and Nubian Skin have done well, the road to success hasn't always been sexy. Launching a business in the fashion industry can be quite difficult between selling your brand, to finding manufacturers, designers, and materials for your clothing. For Ade, she faced many challenges, but the biggest was at the beginning of her business journey.
"I think the biggest hurdle for me at the beginning was finding manufactures. I was super excited once I started - I sent out emails to different manufacturer companies, and I wanted to make samples, but nobody got back to me," says Ade. "When you are so excited about something but no one seems to be responding, that's really hard, but luckily I figured out quickly that I needed some expert advice. I found a consultant and she said 'you need to go trade shows, that's where you will meet manufactures,' so that's what I did. From then, it went onwards and upwards."
Getting expert advice from consultants and mentors is something that she recommends to young entrepreneurs. In addition, Ade recommends that aspiring bosses should hustle hard and avoid getting money from outside sources if possible when starting a business. Nubian Skin is self-funded, and between Ade's savings and help from her family and friends, she was able to start a company that she was passionate about. By not depending on outside sources to get her business started, she was able to dominate so much of her business.
"I do think it's good to keep as much control as you can in the beginning, especially if you have a specific vision for what you want to do, and then at the right time bring in outside money."
So what happens after you are able to launch the business. How do you manage one of the most important objects like your people?
As we all know, being a manager is not always easy, especially at times when you are a young manager. It doesn't matter if you have a large staff or small staff, having good managerial skills is crucial. Ade has a small staff, but still has significant advice for young managers that she lives by herself.
"It's definitely important to surround yourself with people who are passionate--I think you can just tell the difference. Working with people that actually care is invaluable, and making sure you surround yourself with people that are intelligent, and who are go-getters is important," Ade tells us. "It's really important to let people do what they are good at. I think when this is your business you're sort of quite keen to micromanage everything, but a lot of times when people are good and competent you can just should sort of let them go. You will be amazed at the wonderful things that they can come up with."
Learning how to be a manager isn't something that we believe can be taught in school - it's either something that you were born with or that you learn over time through experiences. When Ade was in college at Duke University, she focused on doing things that interested her and that she was passionate about. When she was in school, she always felt it was important to do things that would enable her to progress in the future from a career perspective.
By never losing sight of her passion and partaking in activities that would eventually help her evolve into the savvy, business woman that she is today, Ade is living out her dream. She told us that eventually she would like to have her own Nubian Skin flagship store, but she also understands the value of be patient and knowing how to please the consumer.
"One of the things that we are very conscious of is growing at a healthy pace and not running before we can walk. Ideally, yes, in several years I would love, love, love to have a Nubian Skin flagship shop, but for the time being I want to really make sure we get the product right, and that we are getting what people want."
When Nubian Skin first launched, some of the biggest feedback Ade received was that they needed more sizes. Within six months, they launched bigger sizes, and in the very near future they are planning to launch a larger range of hosiery. For women with varying skin tones and sizes this is very important, and will answer the prayers for many women of color that just cannot find what they need from the typical lingerie and hosiery companies.
When Ade is not working hard, she is doing what every young woman likes to do - she loves to go out with friends, dance, and shop. Ade believes in the value of having balance and having "me" time.
At the young age of 31, the booming entrepreneur has proven to the world that if you have a vision, do not let it slip away. Ade fully believes in working hard and not giving up on your dreams. Through her story and through her business, Ade is impacting our world, one bra and panty hose at a time.
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Brittani Hunter is a proud PVAMU alumni and the founder of The Mogul Millennial, a business and career platform for Black Millennials. Meet Brittani on Twitter and on the Gram at @BrittaniLHunter and @mogulmillennial.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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We all love that Beyoncé's recent foray into country music has turned the world's attention back to the impact of Black legends and icons who were foremothers of the genre. All of the buzz around the superstar's take on country music (along with the fab TikToks of Black women getting their country glam on to prep for a possible country music tour), brings to the forefront stories of the amazing impact of women like Sister Rosetta Thorpe, Elizabeth Cotton, and Linda Martell. These women laid the groundwork for folk, country, and rock music way before any of us reached our mother's wombs.
I've loved country music since childhood and would rock, sway, and sing along to songs by The Neville Brothers, Patsy Cline, and Elvis. (Yep, I loved me some Elvis, honey. It was an admiration I inherited from my mom.). Back in the day, my friends and I would all enjoy the country music songs played at a popular hangout spot, the local skating rink. The DJ would go from 69 Boys, Brandy, and Usher to Billy Ray Cyrus ("Achy Breaky Heart), Dolly Parton ("9-to-5" and "I Will Always Love You,") and Shania Twain ("Man! I Feel Like A Woman.") Country music has always been part of my life's soundtrack.
Since it's Women's History Month, what a perfect time to highlight some of the other Black women who have been standing it the gap for years, doing this country music thing, and doing it well. Here are a few to add to your playlists this month and beyond.
The Boykin Sisters AKA The BoykinZ
Sisters Nylan, Nytere, Anale, and Alona took the country music world by storm on TikTok, drawing more than 480,000 followers and 10 million likes for their soulful country music swag. They've performed with Shania Twain on the Country Music Awards, appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show, and have recorded with legendary country music producer Nathan Chapman. Each brings their own unique flavor to the group, from style to music abilities.
Rissi Palmer
She released her self-titled debut album with hit singles, “Country Girl,” “Hold On To Me,” and “No Air,” and has since performed at The White House, New York's Lincoln Center, and the Grand Ole Opry. She’s also shared stages with country and pop music heavy-hitters including The Eagles, Charley Crockett, and Taylor Swift. Taking things to the advocacy level, she launched her own radio show Color Me Country with Rissi Palmer on Apple Music Country and created the Color Me Country Artist Grant Fund to support newbie country artists of color to reach their entertainment industry dreams.
C Brandon / Contributor/Getty Images
Yola
A U.K.-bred country music artist, this singer and actress was nominated for multiple Grammys for her 2019 debut album, Walk Through Fire, including Best Americana Album. Her 2021 album, Stand For Myself, mixes country and soul with intriguing and relatable visuals. She also magnificently starred as Rosetta Thorpe in the 2023 Elvis biopic, a film whose soundtrack was an American Music Award winner.
Mickey Guyton
A modern-day pioneer in her own right, Mickey Guyton was the first Black woman to be nominated in the Best Country Solo Performance category at the Grammy Awards in 2021, and, that same year, she became the first Black woman to co-host the Academy of Country Music Awards. Her song, “Black Like Me,” released in the wake of the George Floyd protests and the Black Lives Matter movement, added more to her legacy of being a leader and advocate in country music.
Brittney Spencer
This newbie artist in the game has given us strong previews of her talent, releasing two EPs and receiving Country Music Awards and Country Music Television award nominations. Elektra signed her to a deal in 2022, and this year, she released her debut album, My Stupid Life, which has been described by one Rolling Stone reviewer as “one of the most convincing country statements in a while.”
Reyna Roberts
The self-proclaimed "Princess of Outlaw Country," is serving soul, sass, and style with her music, with a debut album titled, Bad Girl Bible, Volume 1, sparking intrigue and fan support. Her more than 300,000 followers on IG rally behind her, as she campaigns for big-ticket performances that we are sure, will be in her future.
Chapel Heart
Sisters Danica and Devynn Hart have joined musical forces with cousin Trea Swindle as a country music trio, and found early viral success performing on “America’s Got Talent.” In 2021 the group was inducted into Country Music Television’s “Next Women of Country,” and they’ve been honored as “International Group of the Year” as well as “International Song of the Year” for the single “You Can Have Him Jolene” in Scotland. They have been nominated for several British CMAs including “Group of the Year” and “Album of the Year” for their second album release The Girls Are Back In Town.
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Featured image by Emma McIntyre / Staff/Getty Images