Fashion is a slightly different story, as nude was often and still is portrayed as the complexion of a white woman, manifesting in shades of peach, cream and light beige. But the world of fashion continues to evolve to address societal issues as such, and one of the innovators that has incited change is the luxury French designer Christian Louboutin.
In the beauty world, ‘nude’ comes in a variety of shades, and just as the editors of Elle have reiterated, there are an infinite number of skin tones, so everyone’s definition of the color will depend on their complexion, which often is a shade lighter or darker rather than an exact match.
Described as the face behind the choice footwear label for men and women across the globe by the curators of the Christian Louboutin collection on Lyst, he is also highly regarded as one of the first big brands to launch a line of nude heels (with the iconic red sole, of course) with shades blending with a diverse range of skin tones. In designer’s original campaign in 2013, images showed legs of different colors with nude pumps to match.
InStyle also reported the brand by launching a free app that would help shoppers find the right match. With just one collection of heels, Louboutin forced the public to ditch the notion that nude only comes in a certain shade that would only blend well with pale complexions.
Later, Louboutin decided to add to the Nudes line with a gorgeous palette of ballet flats. As basic and as boring as it might sound compared to his previous designs, the beauty again lies in the message of the campaign. While the industry has seen significant improvement in terms of diversity in body shapes and ethnicities, there is still room for improvement in fashion.
The brand continues to expand their Nudes collection to celebrate women of various backgrounds who just want to celebrate their body and who they are. Louboutin explained to USA Today, “It’s all about the legs; it’s all about the person. It’s great for when you are just thinking of yourself.”
The nude ballet flats come in a range of seven shades, worn by seven women filling the spectrum of skin tones aptly dressed in tutus in their respective nude colors. Truly a force to be reckoned with, more luxury footwear labels should broaden their scope of the classic nude shoe.