Re Architecturing

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Rad Hourani wears his own creations because he designed them for himself. In essence, he is his own muse – a sole performer.

The 20-something designer walked into the photo shoot as if he had just stepped off his own runway: black-clad and dressed in layered garments that spoke the language of the avant-garde my wardrobe. Somehow, there is a sweet honesty about this. Rad Hourani wears his own creations because he designed them for himself. In essence, he is his own muse – a sole performer. “What you wear is a reflection of who you are,” he says. “My clothes have no gender, no religion, no limitations. Because, well, that’s who I am.”

Fashion insiders agree there is something “remarkable” about up-and-comer Rad Hourani. His clothes seem to have introduced a fresh perspective on androgyny: his shape-shifting jackets are completely gender agnostic – unisex in every way – yet also incorporate the tools to make them more womanly or manly. “My clothes aren’t made for the total look,” he offers, “you can transform them and make them your own.”

It is obvious how passionate Hourani is about the concept of individualism. He views trends as junk food: only immediately satisfying and never fulfilling. “There is nothing more sensual than knowing your body and what style suits it,” he says. Though Hourani produces a set style for the runway, individuality is a key part of his vision:  “My clothes are about using one’s mind – no race, no followers, no seasons. People should feel and understand them.” And then he takes it a bit further: “I want them to doubt even what I say.”

But what about a little more colour? Known for his unwavering commitment to the colour black, Hourani has deservingly been dubbed ‘le roi du noir’. But he dispels the idea that he subscribes to the emotional side of it all: “I don’t use black because it’s morbid,” he laughs, “but because it is timeless, comfortable, and elegant.”

Though the colour he used (and continues to use) is a tried and true staple of the fashion industry, Hourani didn’t draw much else from the world of fashion when he started his career. Fashion school is glaringly absent from his resume. “I worked more with an architect than a designer when I first started,” he says. He started sketching by drawing straight lines – and it makes sense when one sees his asexual, gender-less clothes. His sketches were born from frustration: “I used to have a really hard time shopping for myself when I was a stylist in Montreal,” he remembers, “I liked the fabrics in the womens’ section but the cut was wrong and I could never find the right shape.”

Hourani’s style is, perhaps surprisingly, not niche. His customer is the forward-facing, free-thinking, intelligent, young or old, guy or girl who couldn’t find the right cut or shape – just like him.

Hair : Shawn Mount
Make-up : Sara Glick
Stylist assistant Luis Martin