[2009-07-29] : Interview

Depth Within The Darkness: Rad Hourani

After four successful collections, Rad Hourani has proven to the most critical of all industries that he is a developing ironclad force. Hourani embodies a mélange of cultural identities. Having been born in Jordan, the adroit, young designer later moved to  Montreal, and now splits his time between New York and Paris. Though there are no traces of colorful, cultural expression in his garments, there is an element of diplomacy because anyone can wear his pieces— regardless of sex. He unapologetically restricts his color palette, allowing the color black to serve as the articulation of his point of view. Most of his garments are close to the body, creating emphasis on linear shapes. Linearity is not only expressed in each individual piece, but it also plays a significant role in his creative process, as every collection is an extension of the one that preceded it.  He?s a designer whose clothing reflects his motivations and indulgences whilst caters to the non-conformist nature of today´s generation. Hourani creates with the intent to obliterate gender boundaries, spread the virtue of simplicity and give his clientele a certain power that radiates from within.

There is an unequivocal androgynous aesthetic associated with your garments. What is it about sexless fashion that appeals to you?

Circumstances have brought me to move around from an early point in my life, and I’ve felt compelled to continue on doing so, for this experience has made me consider things in a wider perspective, with no restrictions. I want to convey this notion into my line, and design clothes that can be worn anywhere by anyone anytime. My collection is intended as unisex. I hope to reach people who do not define themselves primarily as men or women, who go beyond the classical demographical criteria.

What are you drawn to for inspiration?

I believe that using what I would like to wear as a starting point to the design process is the most truthful and straightforward approach, for it allows me to stay focused on my aesthetic statement and also assess my commitment to wearability, functionality, and comfort. I do not start every new season with a specific theme or concept, but rather try to establish a continuity from one to the next. There is no specific process I think. I just carry a mental notebook where I make notes at any time of the day. I can get inspired by someone on the street, or by a book, or a discussion. Then I put it into a few straight lines…

Why does the color black play such a significant role in your designs? What does it evoke, that other colors cannot?

I am more attached to the notion of purity and by choosing simple, stark lines, I strive to blur gender boundaries; Apparent simplicity, but refinement in details. Confident & powerful, sort of like a weightless armor. I want  to make clothes that give the wearer a bold presence without looking contrived or overdone and if I end up using all black for a collection, why not. Black is mysterious, chic, slick, modern and eternal. Fashion for me is about clothes transcending simple functionality and gaining symbolic, evocative power by engaging in a dialogue with their environment and their time. It’s a tool for self-expression and self-invention. Beauty is everywhere, yet perfection is nowhere.

What do you indulge in?

Learning and observing everyday.

When are you happiest?

When I’m in complete silence.

Do your collections reflect a certain mood or idea?

I design from a virgin point of view, trying to elude classical ready-to-wear rules that made us believe that women and men deserve different approaches. My pieces are timeless and freed from any gender differentiations. I’m allergic to trends or to people who follows trends and I want to get my message across as clearly as possible, to touch  the right audience.  There?s nothing scarier than making fashion ? or anything else, for that matter ? that everybody agrees on.

What motivates you?

Perfection

Many of your pieces are close to the body and have lean silhouettes, do you feel that this is your signature?

I’m into Long, Straight, Sharp, Black & Slick silhouettes, geometric shapes that, by the use of noble, fluid materials, come alive through the movement of the wearer.

Are there any moral, personal or political undertones reflected in your work?

My clothes have erupted from this world of mine. They are asexual, aseasonal, they come from no place, no time, no tradition, yet they can be home anywhere, anytime. They exude a sense of discreet chic, the essence of timeless style, drawn on a monochromatic and graphical canvas.

What is the one thing you can’t live without?

Breathing

Do you ever think twice about a garment before sending it down the runway?

Yes, I always ask myself if I’ll wear it that way or not and I must say that I think a great deal about myself when designing.

By Amy Sall for Lurve Magazine