Designer in the highlight: Ronan McKenzie’s Selasi brand was born out of desire

29-year-old Ronan McKenzie during the pandemic, she found she desired to do more together with her hands. In 2020, she began sewing clothes for her own pleasure and to pass the isolation time. In her free time, she designed clothes, drew, painted and molded clay. The self-taught designer saw creating clothes as a technique to enjoy herself. “It started as something I did for fun, but as people became more interested in it, I wanted to give it its own identity and space in my world,” she said.

In 2021 SELATION he was officially born. The designer notes that her name is Irish and her surname is Scottish. For SELASI, she wanted the brand name to be grounded and more related to the warmth and trust of those conversant in the name quite than its British connotations. SELASI means “God hears me”, while the other end of the phrase means “and he listened”. McKenzie said she designs mainly for herself, designing clothes that she desires to wear and that can make her feel her best. “SELASI is my selfish place where I make all the decisions and discover what I want completely, unwaveringly and uncompromisingly.” In this self-centered space, McKenzie brought her ideas to life through quite a few collaborations with other artists, comparable to Jobe Burns, with whom she designed the chair, Marko Bakovic in footwear design, KBN Knitwear in knitwear development, and Ricky Harriott of SRVC Studio clothing components.

In her recently released collection, “Chapter Four: Homegrowing,” McKenzie’s world-building skills are put to the test as she sources objects, creates floral arrangements, and brings in performances from fellow artists Amy Dadiaga, Josh Woolford, Sienna King and her own mother. their artistry during photo sessions for the collection. This has created a robust sense of belonging for the designer, who relishes the presence of other people entering her world. “The way my pieces fall on others, the feeling it creates, the warmth transferred from intention to physical clothes and beyond, is special to me.”

McKenzie often draws inspiration from the design process; it’s influenced by a large number of experiences from conversations, works of art, food, shapes, and so forth. When he learns recent things and easily tries them, he discovers that recent ideas are born to be implemented. This may be seen in her creations, which lean towards freedom and luxury, but in addition chic in presentation. For example, one of her favorite pieces of clothing is a pair Loose pants because they were the first pants she designed. Another piece, Savannah dress has recently been reworked right into a summer bandeau and is a preferred SELASI product. Her outerwear pieces like “We love Barbados” and “Black Rock“Jackets” was also on her favorites list. Named after her mother’s home parish in Barbados, the Black Rock includes a sleek, oversize leather silhouette that can appeal to any fashion enthusiast. Stars like the singer Solange and actress Lashana Lynch could possibly be seen in SELASI on and off the red carpet. Her designs are consistent, moving from the last collection to the next through neutral colours, drapes and shapes. He continuously finds recent ways to convey recent brand ideas.

The designer’s foremost goal is to construct a community that’s loving, open and supportive of one another. It looks like she’s already achieved this together with her brand. As she continues SELASI in the future, what excites her most is the freedom of self-expression. “I maintained it [freedom] through ownership and autonomy.” Thanks to this, McKenzie’s SELASI world is continuously expanding.

“Chapter Four: Growing at Home” is out there for pre-order on the website selasi.co.