Born in lockdown, the project is photographer Ronan Mckenzie’s exploration of the power that wearing garments brings ❤️
, the multifunctional creative space she launched at the end of last year. “I’m not focused on selling clothes, I want it to be a holistic overview and explore the breadth of garments, where they sit and how they intersect with our lives,” she muses. The all-encompassing approach becomes clearer through Mckenzie’s visual curation, with the clothes appearing alongside tonal home settings or crashing waves.
Despite demands from celebrities, stylists, and followers , the photographer didn’t want to give in to the fashion system of selling and loaning before figuring out what she wanted out of it first. In fact, it’s almost a year after her first post that she’s now releasing the first official collection – teaming up with other creatives including Wesley Harriott, footwear designer Marko Baković, and knitwear wizard Khanh Brice Nguyen. “To be honest, Selasi is entirely selfish,” she reflects.
Working with stretch jersey, stiff linen, and vegan leather, the colour palette is even more restrained – occasionally white, but mostly shades of brown: from deep chocolate to sandy tan – chosen specifically by Mckenzie. “I knew I wanted to make brown clothes because they’re really hard to find, especially deeper, darker browns so I wanted to find fabrics that were close to my complexion,” she explains.
Naturally, the debut collection’s accompanying imagery is as diverse as the shades within it and gave Mckenzie a rare opportunity to step from behind the camera and collaborate with her peer Nadine Ijiwere. “I wanted to open up the conversation and see what other Black women think about the clothes and how they see them, so it was a great experience and I really respect her vision,” she says.
Maintaining a dialogue with the project’s collaborators and future customers – custom orders will be available in the autumn – is the way that the photographer will continue to grow Selasi and bring that feeling of empowerment, regardless of race. “I enjoy wearing clothes by designers of colour and I feel powerful when I am, so that’s ultimately what I want to convey with Selasi,” she concludes.