Ronan reintroduces Selasi

In a quaint corner of Hackney, a few days prior to London Fashion Week, Ronan Mckenzie opened her world of Selasi to a handful of admirers and supporters. She hosted a live draping session, with the aid of dancer Miranda Chambers, harpist Miriam Adefris and model Bibi Abdulkadir. 

As soon as one entered the beautiful hall, eyes fell upon the majestic harp. Beautiful brown rugs and wooden benches decorated the airy room and the first copy of Selasi stories was placed all around for viewers to get a glimpse of Ronan’s world. On the wall were two tops made of scarves hanging, with a rack of garments from previous collections in between. The dresses’ silhouette was asymmetrical, the tops were fitted and the pants were baggy. Colours of the collection were extremely symbolic of the palette Ronan seems to have in mind for the brand; browns, blacks, blues all denoting the earth and sky.

The live draping in itself was an event like no other. It resembled an artist painting straight from the heart, except the canvas was the body and the paints were scarves. Throughout the event, Bibi was modeling clothes made by Ronan and creating a storyline alongside Miranda and Miriam. 

The scene felt like a water nymph was being dressed to go to a battle all the while her mind, body and soul were lost; the music evoked emotions of raindrops, floating peacefully in a never ending water body, being under water - just beneath the surface and seeing sunshine glimmer on it; the apsara dances through, she is one with the water and feels it coursing through her. 

After a resounding five minute long ovation, the fact all four of them had done this on the spot, was a master class in artistic improvisation and spontaneous innovation. The harpist led the dancer down a path and she moved with Ronan’s actions in mind. Simultaneously, both Miranda and Bibi interacted in glances and gestures to create a cohesive atmosphere. The harmony of the trio synchronised so beautifully that one couldn’t help but wonder how hard they rehearsed.

After the performance, I was lucky enough to gain some insight on the spectacle from the brains behind the performance, Ronan Mckenzie…

New Wave (NW) -  You mentioned how this is a sort of Rebirth for you and Selasi; why do you think so and how do you think this changes or helps evolve the essence of the brand? Has your approach changed this time around? 

Ronan Mckenzie (RM) - It feels like a rebirth because for the last few years SELASI has always been my side project; something for me that I’ve made just about enough space for to keep it breathing but not enough to completely immerse myself in it. I’m at a time now when I’m ready to commit wholeheartedly to it, to see what it could become and how I could develop both through and with it. I have a lot of ideas that have been brewing, lots that I want to try and lots that I want to share and play with. I'm excited to develop my design perspective through an ever-changing mix of performance, experimental garment, ready to wear and a broader product range. I’ve also just launched SELASI Stories, a new free monthly newspaper to continue conversation with those who are interested in what I’m doing, but offline. 

NW - How has Selasi’s story developed over these chapters and have you formulated the next chapter? Do you have an ideology for how you want the story to be written?

RM - For me, my chapters are generally defined by new collections of garments or products. My previous collections have come about very organically and responded to what I’m thinking about at the time or a result of a need to express in a particular way. Looking forward, I’ll have the time and capacity to develop my concepts in a broader map of what’s come before and what’s to come, I feel like I’m in a wide plain that extends beyond my vision but I have the confidence and trust in my process that I’m going in the right direction, so let’s see what that chapter activates as, or whether my current definition of ‘Chapters’ still feels right.

NW - Draping is something very essential to crafting garments, it takes its own form from region to region, culture to culture. Has your life or childhood impacted your relationship with draping and do you feel like that’s what made you start your passion project? 

RM - Without studying design or really being taught properly how to sew and make clothes, draping for me was the easiest way to understand how to actually turn a piece of fabric into something I could wear on my body. Coming from a photography background, I’m confident in how I like things to look in an image, I often work collaboratively with the stylists I work with on set and find myself shifting the garments myself on the subject for how I think it works best for the image. So, turning this perspective on myself and learning how to make clothes through draping felt most natural and easy to me. I sketch of course, but more often than not, my pieces never end up looking much like the sketch. Sketching is a starting place for me to focus my idea, then I put the fabric on my body and just chop it up from there and see what happens, and I always find draping such a meditative and freeing experience. Draping on Miranda was a completely new experience as I’d never previously draped on someone while they moved, and that’s unlocked a whole new door for me that I’m excited to continue. 

NW - Could you provide more details about the scarves you used for draping?

RM - The scarves are made by KBN Knitwear at his studio in East London. The original scarf shape came through draping and cutting: I think I was trying to make a wrap top that would double up as a headscarf, but I wanted the part at the back of the neck to be light, then the long areas to be able to work as a blanket. I originally draped it in quite a soft and lightweight stretch cotton jersey, so when translating this to knitwear I wanted it to be super super soft, and light to the touch but warm and cosy, while being super elegant - obviously. It’s the same scarf shape and material that Khanh and I developed together in 2020 that I’ve kept since.

NW - Do you feel like you are able to control the perception and narrative around Selasi and what you wish to convey through the clothes because you’re also a photographer and I assume you creative direct and lens the imagery yourself? Like with the musicians and dancers you work with and how you create the imagery to showcase the beauty of your vision?

RM - I am definitely very protective of SELASI because it’s really a space that I’ve created for me to uncompromisingly make whatever I want to, in the way that I want to. However, I love to collaborate and am continually inspired by what magic can be made with working with artists who inspire me be that through working with other photographers, musicians, make up artists, etc. SELASI is still a baby so I’m holding its hand as I introduce it to people and experiences that I feel connected to, and I’m grateful to everyone who has been involved up until this point for taking such good care of me and it, so I look forward to seeing where that can go. 

NW - Lastly, what made you want to create an offline way of keeping up with Selasi? It's an extremely niche and authentic idea but also something that requires more manpower and resources vis a vis online blogs/email subscriptions.

RM - I'm interested in connecting with and building my community offline; I don't want to be so heavily reliant on social media to share my work with those who are interested in it. SELASI is also just such a tactile process that I want the experience of engaging with it to similarly offer physical connection in real life with the imagery and my thought process if not the garments and pieces themselves. I don't want to add to the trillion emails that people already get every day, and I'd prefer for people to have something that they can hold.