FASHION designer giveaway: Enter to win this Rad by Rad Hourani coat
2012 marks FASHION Magazine’s 35th Anniversary! To celebrate, each issue, we’re pairing up with a different Canadian who is also celebrating a milestone. We invite our readers to enter for their chance to WIN the designers’ featured show pieces. Good luck!
Enter to win this Rad by Rad Hourani coat »
Watch our behind the scenes video with Rad Hourani »
Read our interview with the designer »
Totally Rad: Canadian designer Rad Hourani celebrates a milestone and gets back to nature.
By Sarah Casselman
When it comes to fashion, Rad Hourani is an equal opportunist. Known for his androgynous approach to design, the 30-year-old Canadian ex-pat (he moved from Montreal to Paris in 2005) has gained a cult-like following of women and men who covet his slick unisex silhouettes. Since launching his namesake couture- inspired label in 2007—it functions as a laboratory for his experiments with shapes and fabrics—he has added a second, more casual line, Rad by Rad Hourani, that focuses on transformable fit while maintaining his signature look. He has shown in New York, Milan and Paris, but in March he made his Canadian runway debut with his fifth ready-to- wear collection at Toronto’s World MasterCard Fashion Week. A true avant-garde artiste—he’s also writing and directing a feature film—Hourani identifies his collections by number rather than by season. “I find it very limiting to categorize,” he says. Genderless, seasonless, timeless: Beam us up, Rad.
What was the inspiration behind your current Rad by Rad Hourani collection?
“I spent a lot of time in nature recently and kept observing the colour green. I said to myself, ‘Howcan I do a study of the colour green?’ From there, I created the wardrobe I needed. I wanted to work more on reversible garments.”
When are you most creative?
“It’s really in the moments when you don’t think about things. Most of the time, it’s when I am falling asleep.”
What has been the biggest challenge since starting your label?
“People were not used to a unisex high-end line. At the beginning, they didn’t really understand and would ask, ‘Which pieces are for men and which ones are for women?’ The challenge was to stick to my vision. Perseverance and determination are the most challenging things, but they are also the most powerful.”
How will you celebrate your fifth anniversary this year?
“We are doing exhibitions in Hong Kong and Paris, shows in Toronto and London, an event in New York, a book based on the past five years and I’m finishing my movie.”
Where do you go to recharge?
“The beach. I stretch, run and swim. I like the feeling of being disconnected.”
 has gained a cult-like following of women and men who covet his slick unisex silhouettes. Since launching his namesake couture- inspired label in 2007—it functions as a laboratory for his experiments with shapes and fabrics—he has added a second, more casual line, Rad by Rad Hourani, that focuses on transformable fit while maintaining his signature look. He has shown in New York, Milan and Paris, but in March he made his Canadian runway debut with his fifth ready-to- wear collection at Toronto’s World MasterCard Fashion Week. A true avant-garde artiste—he’s also writing and directing a feature film—Hourani identifies his collections by number rather than by season. “I find it very limiting to categorize,” he says. Genderless, seasonless, timeless: Beam us up, Rad.
What was the inspiration behind your current Rad by Rad Hourani collection?
“I spent a lot of time in nature recently and kept observing the colour green. I said to myself, ‘Howcan I do a study of the colour green?’ From there, I created the wardrobe I needed. I wanted to work more on reversible garments.”
When are you most creative?
“It’s really in the moments when you don’t think about things. Most of the time, it’s when I am falling asleep.”
What has been the biggest challenge since starting your label?
“People were not used to a unisex high-end line. At the beginning, they didn’t really understand and would ask, ‘Which pieces are for men and which ones are for women?’ The challenge was to stick to my vision. Perseverance and determination are the most challenging things, but they are also the most powerful.”
How will you celebrate your fifth anniversary this year?
“We are doing exhibitions in Hong Kong and Paris, shows in Toronto and London, an event in New York, a book based on the past five years and I’m finishing my movie.”
Where do you go to recharge?
“The beach. I stretch, run and swim. I like the feeling of being disconnected.”
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