Totally Rad: A Q&A With Designer Rad Hourani

When style.com tapped Canadian former stylist Rad Hourani as one of their Top 10 New Faces for Spring 2008, they likened his angular, brooding Parisian debut to that of Ann Demeulemeester and Helmut Lang. Rad's eagerly anticipated second collection firmly defined his signature look as entirely his own: a dark, linear shape that oozes of urban androgyny. Within just two collections, his seasonless unisex wares have gained an executive cult following from the likes of Holt Renfrew and Barneys. However Rad's unwavering vision extends past merely designing clothes; the budding photographer's ethereal video productions in collaboration with the 20th anniversary of Mode Models garnered him both critical acclaim and a cult-following among the who's who of casting directors. A few weeks before his S/S '09 New York Fashion Week show, we chatted with the much buzzed-about young designer.

How do you think that being a stylist prepared you to become such a stellar designer?
Styling is a phenomenal means to learn how to use clothes; but more importantly if you have designing ambitions, it's a great way to analyze how things are constructed and marketed (especially for someone like me who never attended design or fashion school). I worked as a stylist for a longer period of time than a scholarship would have been, but I feel that I learned way more while benefitting from the bonus of getting to know a lot of great people who still support me today.

If you could live in any era, which would you choose? Why?

The end of the ‘60s/early ‘70s: thanks to Patti Smith songs, Robert Mapplethorpe photos, my favorite movie La Notte, and the freedom of a new way of thinking.

Who do you find most inspiring? Why?
I must say that I think a great deal about myself when designing. Of course I didn't create a brand just for my own sake, but I believe that using what I would like to wear as a starting point in the design process is the most truthful and straightforward approach. It allows me to stay focused on my aesthetic statement and also assess my commitment to wearability, functionality and comfort. I wear my own clothes because I want to feel how another person would feel in them.

How do you achieve unisex garments that are so thoroughly effortless for either sex?
Long and layered silhouettes. Straight. Sharp. Black. Slick, geometric shapes that -- by the use of noble, fluid materials -- come alive through the movement of the wearer. Apparent simplicity, but refinement in details. I design from a very virgin point of view by trying to elude the classical ready-to-wear rules that compel us to believe that women and men deserve different approaches. My pieces are timeless and free from any gender differentiations.

Your second presentation is credited with launching (one of my favorite models) Camille Mervin into the spotlight. How do you select the models for your shows? What attributes in particular do you look for?
We booked five exclusive models for F/W 2008-2009, for which I'm very thankful. I spent a few days doing fittings on Camille and Amanda Laine from Supreme -- both of whom are now doing so well. I really enjoy collaborating with my casting director, Wayne Sterling. His vision fits perfectly with mine. Together we keep an eye out for models with graphic face features and always include some new faces each season to ensure a modern lineup and help launch their careers. We all need to support each other in this industry... it's like a family for me.

The shape of the rectangle is a recurring theme in your collections. Is this an intentional design theme?
Yes! It's the first design that came to my mind when I started my first collection.

Your second collection's tricoloration of black, red and white evoked an eery emotional response... was this your intention? Why did you choose these colors in particular? Can we expect a similar concept this September?
I am attached to the notion of purity and strive to blur gender boundaries. I hope to reach people who do not define themselves primarily as men or women -- who go beyond the established demographical criteria. When you mix black with red or black with white, it's like mixing Adam and Eve together: the male and the female. My idea was to unite all genders into one collection that represented all feelings. In September, you'll see confident and powerful, like a weightless armor or sorts. I desire to create clothes that bestow upon the wearer a bold presence without looking contrived or overdone. And you'll see more male models!

What is your favorite fairy tale? Why?
101 Dalmations -- for all the black and white.

What makes you laugh uncontrollably?
Fashion victims

If you could collaborate with any designer of any era, who would it be?
I admire designers who have a complete vision, who pay attention to all the details of their brand's image, and then carry that vision even further in abstraction and refinement -- all the way into the field of art (by way of illustration, early Pierre Cardin).

On a strictly personal level, I was literally obsessed with the Eastwick witchy, super blunt, pin-straight, center-parted hair of your second collection: without a doubt my favorite runway tresses of the season! What was the process of developing your 'hair vision' with Sabrina Michals?
I had this direction in my head before launching my debut collection in Paris. I was feeling something very symmetrical and graphic with a natural look. Yes, it has a bit of a witchy feeling, maybe to reflect human emotion correlating to the red coloration throughout the collection. My debut hair direction embraced having the hair nonchalantly in the face, so I thought it would be a nice continuation. It was great to work with Sabrina as she understood my vision very well.

Rad Hourani Collection 2 (Fall/Winter '08-'09: video by Rad)

Do you ascribe to a particular life philosophy?
Be thankful and true to your self. Open your eyes and mind. Listen to your feelings and be good. Focus and work hard. Live in the present and dream -- in a realistic way. Always remember that less is more.

http://www.radhourani.com/
Available for purchase at http://www.reborn.ws/