When it comes to nude clothing or accessories, one hue certainly doesn't fit (or, rather, match) all, though fashion brands have been fairly slow to reflect or accommodate this. British shoe company Kahmune is the latest label trying to change the world of footwear, one shade at a time. And while previous ranges from other brands have typically capped out at five to seven shades, Kahmune brings you 10 options.
Kahmune's origin story is quite simple: Last year, founder and designer Jamela Acheampong was searching the web for nude-hued clothing and accessories. To her dismay — but, sadly, to no one's surprise — she came up empty, or at least with a plethora of items in beige and tan (Acheampong is Ghanian-American). "I spent hours researching skin tones across the world," Acheampong told Elle. "Settling on just 10 colors was no easy feat—I don't think people realize the amount of diversity found in skin pigments. I found a few brands that were doing five or eight shades, but I didn't think that was enough."
With support from her father, she created Kahmune to solve a major (yet often overlooked) void in the footwear market. Kahmune's approach to crafting its thorough range of shades is quite innovative: Acheampong provides popular makeup pigments next to each shoe to help you find your shade and ensure a match. In terms of the production process, every shoe is made from Italian leather under the strict European manufacturing standards, with an emphasis on being gentle on the environment in the mix. But, perhaps most importantly, the brand is poised to make the search for your next pair of nude heels a lot easier.
In recent years, the nude market has proven to be lucrative. Lingerie line Naja debuted a seven-shade Nude For All collection last year, and British brand Nubian Skin began offering a range of nudes back in 2014.Christian Louboutin expanded their Nude Collection from four shades to seven shades in 2015 (although it took the brand two years to offer a widened array of skintones). Whether it's a marketing tool a genuine desire to provide options for, well, everyone, we're glad brands are finally listening to their customers and expanding their ranges for all of their customers' skin tones — not just those who can afford them. We hope bigger fashion names will follow in Kahmune's footsteps.