Selasi FW26 Women Looks Report
Selasi FW26 Women Looks Report
London Fashion Week
Selasi FW26 builds a wardrobe around the tension between athletic vernacular and fluid, draped construction, pulling sportswear references, specifically basketball jerseys, track skirts and logo-printed fleece, into a framework of satin, jersey and tailoring. For buyers, this collection arrives at exactly the moment the market is absorbing the collapse between performance-wear codes and eveningwear, and Selasi offers a resolved, commercially legible version of that shift.
Silhouette and Volume
The collection moves between two poles. Oversized, cocoon-proportioned outerwear in Look 1 sits at one end, while elongated column forms in Looks 3, 19 and 20 anchor the other. Draped asymmetry dominates mid-collection, with fabric pulled and knotted at the hip or waist to create active, sculptural volume rather than structured tailoring. Flared trousers in Look 11 and Look 4 extend the vertical line to the floor, making the figure appear uncommonly tall.
Color Palette
Chocolate brown runs as the collection's spine, appearing across every fabrication from satin to neoprene to jersey. Raw cream and warm sand appear in Looks 8 and 9, creating a tonal, low-contrast combination that will photograph well in retail and editorial contexts. Mid-show, a hard-contrast yellow-green combination drawn directly from sports kit graphics arrives in Looks 7, 13, 14, 15 and 16. That yellow reads as school bus or safety vest, grounding the collection in the East London community Selasi explicitly references through the "Walthamstow" lettering in Look 1.
Materials and Textures
Matte jersey carries most of the draped looks and behaves with a medium weight that holds sculptural form without stiffening. Look 19 uses a heavier satin with a visible liquid surface that catches light differently as the model moves. Neoprene or a neoprene-like scuba appears in Look 3, giving the full-length abaya silhouette a clean, minimal surface. Leather, in Look 1 and Look 6, is the stiffest material in the lineup, cropped short to contrast with the softer, gathered skirts below.
Styling and Layering
Layering logic is additive but not cluttered. A single draped element, a wrap, a scarf-like panel or an oversized collar is added over a base that is already resolved on its own. Footwear splits between tan suede knee-high boots, appearing in Looks 1, 6, 7, 8 and 18, and silver or white chunky trainers in Looks 2, 9, 14 and 19, mapping directly onto the collection's two registers, the intimate and draped versus the sport-inflected and graphic. Fingerless leather gloves recur across Looks 4, 8, 10, 11 and 19, functioning as a consistent house signature rather than an add-on accessory.
Look by Look Highlights
Look 3 A full-length abaya in chocolate scuba with pinch detailing at the waist and matching hood gives this look the clearest modest-dressing commercial application in the lineup, with no styling compromise required.
Look 6 The cropped, ruched-sleeve brown leather jacket worn over a green pleated sports skirt with yellow ric-rac trim is the most direct product in the collection for buyers seeking a strong separates story.
Look 9 Cream boucle-textured oversized turtleneck over a chocolate satin column skirt, finished with silver trainers, is the most immediately wearable and broad-market look in the collection.
Look 12 A single-shoulder brown jersey draped dress with a deep hip cutout and floor-length train demonstrates the construction complexity the label can achieve at scale, and is the clearest evening candidate.
Look 13 A yellow hooded jersey dress assembled from what reads as deconstructed sports kit, with green embroidered patches, lands the sportswear-to-eveningwear translation in its most theatrical form, making it a strong editorial and campaign investment.
Look 14 Multiple yellow and green basketball jerseys sewn into a single asymmetric midi dress is the most direct expression of the upcycling or rework narrative and will generate immediate press traction.
Look 17 A sand ribbed knit draped asymmetrically across one shoulder into a wrap mini silhouette, paired with tall camel suede boots, edits down to a highly sellable two-piece or one-piece resort option.
Look 20 The chocolate jersey deep-V long-sleeve gown with knotted cuffs and a faint satin surface is the cleanest eveningwear closing statement, suitable for wholesale to independent boutiques with a luxury contemporary customer.
Operational Insights
Brown as a year-round base: Warm enough to read as autumn-winter but light enough in weight in its jersey and satin forms to extend into resort, the chocolate brown used across the collection gives buyers flexible floor placement across two seasons.
Sportswear sourcing: Looks 7, 14, 15 and 16 require mesh jersey and woven sports kit fabric that can be sourced or procured through upcycle channels. Before writing orders, buyers should confirm with the label whether these are production pieces or one-of-a-kind constructions.
Modest dress expansion: Looks 3 and 5 function within modest dressing criteria without alteration. Style directors targeting that customer segment can position these as hero pieces with minimal merchandising adjustment.
Separates strategy: At least eight looks split cleanly into tops and bottoms. Product managers should push for separates pricing architecture on Look 6, Look 9 and Look 10 to maximize unit volume and basket size at retail.
Footwear as a brand entry point: The tan suede knee-high boot appears across enough looks to be treated as a collaboration or licensed product opportunity. Its consistent pairing with both draped and structured looks makes it a collection-defining accessory with standalone commercial potential.
Complete Collection
About the Designer
Ronan McKenzie grew up in Walthamstow, east London, in a household that connected her to both her Irish and Scottish heritage through her name, as well as to her Caribbean roots through her mother's birthplace in Black Rock parish, Barbados. After leaving school at 16, she spent six formative years working in retail, developing interpersonal skills that would later serve her photography career. A brief stint studying fashion communication at Central Saint Martins lasted merely two weeks before she walked away to pursue styling work, eventually finding her true calling behind the camera.
Photography came naturally after her initial work as a stylist, leading to commercial shoots with major brands like American Apparel, Vogue, and i-D magazine. Her personal projects, including the ongoing series "Girls" and the exhibition "A Black Body" at Dalston's Doomed Gallery, established her reputation for authentic portraiture celebrating Black British identity. In 2017, she founded the magazine Hard Ears, followed by the community focused gallery space Home in north London, which served as both exhibition venue and creative hub until its closure in 2023.
During the first lockdown in 2020, McKenzie shifted from documenting bodies to dressing them, launching Selasi from her home sewing machine. Named after the Ghanaian Ewe phrase meaning "God hears me," the brand emerged from her desire to create garments that prioritized tactile connection and personal empowerment. Her design philosophy draws heavily from her photographic background, emphasizing how fabric feels against skin and the emotional resonance of wearing particular silhouettes. The brand's earth-toned palette and architectural draping reflect her interest in creating clothes that adapt organically to the wearer's body.
Now in its fifth year, Selasi has evolved into a made-to-order fashion label that McKenzie describes as her "selfish place," where she maintains complete creative control. Her most recent collection, "For Ronan," was inspired by a solo trip to Lanzarote, translating the volcanic landscape into sensuous, loose-fitting garments. "To be honest, Selasi is entirely selfish. I can do whatever I want and only my opinion matters." She continues, "I want people to know when they're wearing it that they're wearing our history, in the same way that I can't hide that I'm Black when I walk into a room."
✦ This report was generated with AI — combining human editorial vision with Claude by Anthropic. Because the future of fashion intelligence is already here.
