Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

How This Rising Photography Star Designed Her First Fashion Collection Under Lockdown

How This Rising Photography Star Designed Her First Fashion Collection Under Lockdown

Ronan Mckenzie has emerged with Selasi, a new made-to-order clothing line.

Ronan Mckenzie’s natural talent for photography is second only to her keen eye for style. Shy and unassuming, the 26-year-old photographer rarely posts images of herself on social media, but when she does she’s always exquisitely dressed.

If you follow her on Instagram, you will have noticed that the most recent of those arresting selfies is tagged to an account called Selasi, a clothing line she conceived of over the summer. “We’d also basically finished all our puzzles and watched every movie when I started thinking about making clothes,” says Mckenzie who lives in East London with her partner, Diogo Rodrigues, a tattoo artist and illustrator. “I am quite private in most areas of my life and I think opening myself up was a gradual process during the lockdown. I wanted to share this because I feel we have all been craving that kind of connection.”

With the help of Rodrigues, Mckenzie set about designing her first pair of pants on the couple’s kitchen table. Cut gently curved through the thigh and high on the waist, those elegant wide-leg trousers set the blueprint for Selasi. Slinky multiway jersey tops, asymmetric blouses, and rough-hewn linen jackets with rounded sleeves would soon follow.

The silhouette that emerged was drawn along powerful, undulating feminine lines, similar to those found in her photography. “I get a lot of emotional strength from physical strength and so much of my work is about making women look big and strong,” says Mckenzie. “I think a lot of the shapes that I do have big arms because I love broad shoulders. I love to feel my arms are weighty.”

That she chose to work with a rich brown palette is no accident either; as an image-maker she has consistently centered on and celebrated Black female bodies with a tender, life-affirming joy. “I never used to wear brown—I just never used to think of it,” she says. “I think it just came with the last few years of growth and appreciation of my skin color, appreciating Blackness, and Black people, Black skin, Black textures.

That naturally led me to want to wear more brown.” Meaning “God hears me” in Ewe, a language spoken in Ghana, the name Selasi itself has resonance across the diaspora. “I do not know if I believe in God, but I am quite spiritual,” she says. “When I say God, I basically mean myself or my inner power. So for me, Selasi means that I hear myself, I understand myself, and I trust myself.”

The one-of-a-kind pieces she’s been making for herself have quickly caught the fashion world’s eye, with inquiries flooding in from stylists and her broader circle of creative cohorts.

Mckenzie recently collaborated with her shoe designer friend Elise of Ugo Paulon on the plush, hand-printed upcycled sandals and mules that appear in her first look book. “I set myself a challenge this year to only buy good quality clothes, but there’s a real beauty in making something that’s perfectly fit for you and you alone,” says McKenzie who is beginning to take on made-to-order requests. “I hope I can share that feeling by doing that for other people.”



AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
×