Today we’d like to introduce you to Leila Quraishi.
Leila, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am currently a Junior at The University of Southern California, and I have been living in Los Angeles for nearly five years. I spent most of my life living in New York City, but I have also lived in Washington DC, Charlotte NC, and Newport Beach CA. As someone who has moved several times, I have learned to be independent and adjust to new environments.
I went to a different school Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior year of high school due to the moves. Having to deal with constant change and transferring into schools with 400 people in my grade strengthened me and made me believe in myself. Sometimes I wish I had gone to one school all four years of high school so that I could have made memories and stronger friendships with the same people, but then I remember that I have met so many amazing people in each city, some of whom have become my best friends. There is always an opportunity cost whichever way you look at a situation, and I always remind myself that everything happens for a reason.
From a young age, I have always been entrepreneurial. I started small fashion brands in middle school and became a licensed children’s yoga instructor when I was fourteen. My mind is always running with new ideas and products to invent. I started an application process for a patent when I was thirteen years old. I regret not completing it, since the idea I had became a successful product five years later. I have always had a desire to find solutions to problems. My Junior year of high school, I came up with the idea for my business, Nudesox.
Nudesox is a women’s athleisure sock brand in five shades of nude. The purpose of Nudesox is to blend in with your skin tone so that your socks do not take away from the “look” of your outfit. Nudesox are cushioned at the sole for ultimate comfort, and they are skin-colored ankle socks so that they cover your entire feet, while still being aesthetically pleasing.
Has it been a smooth road?
It took me an entire year to nail down a manufacturer who was willing to work with me.
Most manufacturers I contacted either did not contact me back (even though I called and emailed multiple times) or they told me they could not work with me. Most of the manufacturers I called did not even understand my brand concept, so instead of trying to understand, they just hung up on me.
So, after an entire year of calling almost every hosiery manufacturer in the US, I finally came across my current manufacturer. She immediately answered my email and told me she was interested in working with me. She gave me the whole talk about how she doesn’t work with start-ups, but because this was an idea she believed could make a lot of money, she signed me on as one of her clients.
That was one of the biggest moments for my business, since, without her, I may still not have had the product in my hand.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Nudesox story. Tell us more about the business.
I currently run Nudesox on my own and handle each task, which can be challenging.
There is no other brand like Nudesox on the market, which is why strengthening my brand is a priority, as well as marketing it to people who do not even know it exists. Nudesox is the product you never knew you needed.
Along with providing an aesthetically pleasing, skin-colored sock to go with any outfit, Nudesox aims to help redefine the word “nude,” which is commonly associated with the creamy color that comes to most people’s minds. Nude just means naked, and there are many shades of naked.
Nudesox is currently selling invisible no show socks, but will soon be releasing two more styles: a runner’s tab and a grip sock for pilates and yoga. Nudesox has been featured in several publications including HelloGiggles, which was acquired by Time, Inc.
As a start-up, it is difficult to land a spot in any magazine or online publication, so I am proud of the achievements that Nudesox has made so far.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Socks are a necessity, and they aren’t disappearing anytime soon! As long as shoes exist, I believe socks will exist as well. They go hand in hand, and they are both needed to protect your feet, as well as provide comfort.
There have been brands that sell soles that claim they can replace the need for socks, but that provides no protection for your feet and is definitely not as comfortable as a pair of socks.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Nudesox.com
- Email: leila@nudesox.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialnx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialNX/

Image Credit:
Bill Bonebrake
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Zee Field
April 4, 2019 at 15:39
Congratulations Leila!