Towels are replaced by elegant boiled wool and Deadstock suede fabric. The “Hallie” suit (named by the mother’s brother) is a square set with details of the back draped details, made with technical white nylon, expanding McKenzie’s tailor-made product. A burning orange dress called “Claudette” is inspired by the custom look of the former iconic, pioneering British painter Claudette Johnson. There are some pieces from scratch, such as loose pants (now English wax cotton like soft leather) and a new version of the Black Rock series named a community in Barbados. Elsewhere, the “We Love Barbados” jacket is a name inspired by the island’s discount store, with signatures, pleasant sensual belly button curves and appears with grooved and cut jackets. Ruching remains a key Selasi feature for appreciation and drama: “I put wrinkles in places that may feel unsafe at times, or places I might want to emphasize – feel comfortable, elegant and powerful.”
As a friend recently described to McKenzie, how they feel when wearing Selasi: “It won’t try to change you, it will reveal you.”
Mackenzie is also developing a bag inspired by a Brazilian birthday trip, where she finds herself carrying a carry-on beach with a cell phone, keys and a small notebook. “I’m not a very valuable person,” she said. “I take care of my own business, but I think I should use something. So I want a bag that I can carry around.” It’s a cotton and canvas bag with Barbados shape and with removable clips that produce a handbag, belt and span. She is also developing leather driving gloves. “I just want to continue creating something that means Selasi can interact with it every day with many ways. To make things cheaper, but I want people to have more and more ways to interact with Selasi. For example newspapers, like bags, a special jacket.”
Miminat Shodeinde in Story No. 4.Photo: Ronan McKenzie
Srirat Jonguand releases issue 4 in Candy Story.Photo: Ronan McKenzie
Meanwhile, the fourth issue story Pushing the publication to a longer editorial, Mackenzie wrote a heartfelt edit of letters. She hopes to extend it with external contributions and different formats, but keep it as a special piece of print, facing devastating hybrid, over-consuming content age. The question is themed “Summer Inspiration” and features British Nigerian architects, interior designers and sculptors miminat shadeinde and Thai artists, potters and designers Srirat Jongsanguandi– McKenzie finds herself inspired by arts and crafts. (While we were chatting, Jongsanguandi’s schoolbag sculpture perched on Mackenzie’s shelf). Their designs all illustrate the theme of the body, the theme of intimacy and warmth.
