Towelling is replaced with elegant boiled wool and deadstock suede fabrics. The ‘Hallie’ suit—named after her mother’s older brother—is a boxy set with back draping detail, made in a technical white nylon, which expands Mckenzie’s tailored offering. A burned orange gown named ‘Claudette’ was inspired by a previous custom look for the iconic, trailblazing British painter Claudette Johnson. There are from-the-start pieces like the baggy pants (now in an English wax cotton that ages like soft leather) and new versions of the Black Rock series—named after a neighborhood in Barbados. Elsewhere, the ‘We Love Barbados’ jacket—a name inspired by a discount store on the island—features a signature, delightfully sensual belly button curve and comes as a trench and cropped jacket. Ruching remains a key Selasi feature, for comfort and drama: “I put ruching where I might sometimes feel insecure, or where I might want to emphasize—to feel comfortable, elegant, and powerful.”
As a friend recently described to Mckenzie how they feel when they wear Selasi: “It doesn’t try to transform you, it reveals you.”
Mckenzie is also developing a bag inspired by a birthday trip to Brazil, where she found herself toting a carryall to and from the beach that held her phone, keys, and little notebook. “I’m not a very precious person,” she says. “I take care of my things, but I think things are supposed to be used. So I want a bag that can go with you everywhere.” It’s a cotton and canvas bag in the shape of Barbados with removable clips that create a handbag, belt-bag, and cross-body. She’s also developing leather driving gloves. “I just want to keep creating things that mean Selasi can be engaged with day to day in so many ways. To make things accessible sounds cheap, but I want people to have more and more ways to engage with Selasi. Like the newspaper, like a bag, a special jacket.”
Miminat Shodeinde in Selasi Stories issue 4.Photo: Ronan Mckenzie
Srirat Jongsanguandi in Selasi Stories issue 4.Photo: Ronan Mckenzie
Meanwhile, the fourth issue of Selasi Stories pushes the publication into longer form editorial, and Mckenzie writes a heartfelt editor’s style letter. She hopes to expand it with outside contributions and different formats, but keep it as a piece of special, printed matter—flying in the face of the doomscrolling, hyper-consumable content age. This issue, themed around ‘summer inspiration,’ features British-Nigerian architect, interior designer, and sculptor Miminat Shodeinde and Thai-British artist, ceramicist, and designer Srirat Jongsanguandi—both craftswomen who Mckenzie finds herself inspired by. (Jongsanguandi’s bag sculpture perches on Mckenzie’s shelf as we chat). Their designs both speak to the themes of the body, intimacy, and warmth which anchor Selasi.