Episode 32: Adrina Fanore - Adrina Nelson

Adrina Nelson is the mastermind behind Adrina Fanore, a chic lifestyle brand that seamlessly blends slow living, health and wellness, and sustainable living into high-end fashion and vegan beauty products. Having founded the brand in 2012 in Brooklyn, New York, Adrina decided to redefine her brand's purpose during the pandemic, leading to a newfound focus on the pursuit of a high-quality lifestyle, and the addition of her vegan nail polish collection.

Raised in the south, Adrina was captivated by the elegant aesthetics of femininity and the luxurious experience of nail polish. She recognized that nail polish was a powerful form of self-expression and a means of empowering women to embrace their individuality. This speaks about how this realization inspired her to create a nail polish collection that celebrates the multifaceted boldness and softness that embodies different aspects of black womanhood, using a diverse range of colors to do so. 

Quote from interviewee for call-out box:

“[My brand] stands for a very high quality of life. I think that is very important. And by that, I mean when you look at my products, they're sustainable. So, what I sell is not harmful to you. It hasn't harmed anyone, any animal or anything in the process of being made.”

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:

• Capitalism has led to the promotion of products that promise immediate solutions to skin problems but are not always safe and can cause long-term health issues.
• Historically, the black community did not have the wealth to buy commercialized products, and hence relied on more natural and organic products.
• Using natural products can be a way to combat health disparities and other issues affecting the black community. 

Check Out These Highlights:

• Adrina explains what makes her nail polish different from others (11:21)
• Adrina shares why she believes Black women are multifaceted, and how she chose colors that represent various aspects of black womanhood (13:11)
• The commitment to veganism is coming from Adriana's heart and is based on the belief that organic living is better for black women (22:31) 

Quotes:

“Also, just the media and the messages that I put out, whether that's in marketing or whatever, it's always a story. It's always something that people can relate to on a basic human level, however that is.”

“Nail polish is a representation of growing up as a little girl in the south and having to, I guess you can say, abide by certain aesthetics for to present femininity.”

“I think a lot of black women who own businesses are like that in general because we just typically like, we see an issue and you can check it out the list. Like we're going to find a solution for it.”