29-year-old Ronan McKenzie found herself wanting to do more with her hands during the pandemic. In 2020, she started making clothing for her enjoyment and to pass the time of isolation. Through her continuous free time, she leaned into the medium of clothing design as well as drawing, painting, and clay making. The self-taught designer saw making clothing as a way to bring herself joy. “It started as something I just did for fun, but after people became more interested in it, I wanted to give it its own identity and space within my world,” she told ESSENCE.
In 2021, SELASI was officially birthed. The designer notes that her first name is Irish while her surname is Scottish. With SELASI, she wanted the brand name to be grounding and more about warmth and trust for those familiar with the name, rather than any British connotations. SELASI means “God hears me” while the latter end of the phrase means “and had listened.” McKenzie told ESSENCE. She designs mainly for herself, designing pieces that she wants to wear and make her feel her best self. “SELASI is my selfish place, where I make all of the decisions and I’m completely, unwaveringly, uncompromising exploring whatever I want to.” From that self-centered space, McKenzie has brought her ideas to fruition through numerous collaborations with other artists such as Jobe Burns whom she designed a chair with, Marko Bakovic for shoe designs, KBN Knitwear for developing knitwear, and Ricky Harriott of SRVC Studio for clothing pieces.
Her latest collection that recently launched, “Chapter Four: Homegrowing,” McKenzie’s world-building skills come into effect with her sourcing objects, creating flower arrangements, and inviting other artists Amy Dadiaga, Josh Woolford, Sienna King, and her own mother to perform their artistries throughout the collection’s shoot. This created a strong sense of belonging for the designer who basks in other people stepping into her world. “The way my pieces fall on others, the way it makes them feel, the warmth that is transferred from the intention to the physical garments and beyond is so special to me.”
McKenzie often finds inspiration within her design process; it’s in the doing. She’s influenced by an abundance of experiences from conversations, artwork, food, shapes, and so on. As she learns new things and just tries them, she finds new ideas to execute are spawned. You can see that in her pieces which lean towards an easy and comfortable feeling, but also chic in presentation. For example, one of her favorite pieces to wear are a pair of baggy pants as they were the first trousers she designed. Another piece, the Savannah dress was recently made into a bandeau for the summer and is a popular item from SELASI. Her outerwear pieces such as the “We Love Barbados” and the “Black Rock” jackets have made it to her list of favorites as well. The Black Rock, named after her mother’s home parish in Barbados, offers a chic, leather, and oversized fit that works for any fashion lover. Celebrities like the singer Solange and actress Lashana Lynch have been seen wearing SELASI on and off the red carpet. Her designs are consistent, building from the last collection into the next through neutral colorways, draping, and shapes. She’s still able to find new ways to convey new ideas of the brand.
The designer’s main goal is to build a community that is loving, open, and supportive of one another. She seems to already be accomplishing this through her brand. As she continues SELASI through the future, she’s most excited about freedom to express herself. “I’ve maintained [freedom] through ownership and autonomy.” Through doing so, McKenzie’s world of SELASI keeps expanding.
“Chapter Four: Homegrowing” is available for pre-order on selasi.co.
