An artistic depiction of the pensive designer

“When I was a kid, I was really religious. I believed in Jesus and my grandfather was a priest. But at one point, I started traveling and I saw other religions and I said to myself, ‘What makes me believe that my religion is better than his, or hers?’ I started examining my way of thinking and how people are programmed and conditioned to view the world. I saw what caused trouble, what caused war, what caused pain…and I asked myself, ‘How can you live with no limits of gender, of religion, of color?’ My clothes are a bit like that. You can be from anywhere and you can travel all over the world and wear it and be yourself.”

The above is just one of the proclamations a black-clad Rad Hourani gave during our outlandishly early morning interview, this along with an “I don’t believe in gender or religion” mantra. Considering the intended purpose for my visit to the designer’s pristine Paris studio was to discuss his innovative fall collection of sequin accents, patent leather shorts and shape-shifting jackets, such a statement seemed potentially disingenuous. In truth, however, it is an integral piece of the personal ethos that inspires Hourani’s complex collections.

Born in Jordan and raised in Montreal, Hourani began flirting with fashion straight out of high school as both a model scout and a stylist. Although he had no formal fashion training, designing often crossed his mind. Moving to Paris in 2005, he couldn’t find a thing to wear, so began designing for himself. “In the women’s section, everything was very curvy and too short, but I liked the fabrics and the finishes. Then I’d go to the men’s section and everything was too big and the fabrics were not at all pleasant. I wanted clothes that would fit me and make me feel good.”

With five collections and a recently launched diffusion line, Rad by Rad Hourani, under his belt, the 27-year-old’s sleek silhouettes, almost entirely black palette and resulting gothic-cum-futuristic unisex looks have formed a new breed of ready-to-wear. His banded leggings, lean layers and geometric lines are somehow just as lovely on him as they are on her. His symmetrical leathers, artfully yet functionally placed zippers and, as of last season, sculpted neoprenes combine comfort with a slightly dark avant-garde appeal.

Often compared to Helmut Lang, Ann Demeulemeester and Gareth Pugh, Hourani stresses that, while he sees this as a great compliment, he has never directly referenced their work, or anyone else’s. His inspirations come not from other collections, retro styles or pop culture, but rather from his own tastes and experiences. The designer’s worldview, one that examines the strive for perfection and harmony that exists between us—despite religion and gender—is the backbone of his collections. Next year, he plans to release both a film and an image book, which will further explore these sentiments. The philosophical thoughts he revealed to me from his studio couch were merely precursor; here are a few of them:

On Androgyny

When I say genderless, some people think it’s about being nonsexual, or not normal. But it’s more about being open to anything and having no limits. For example, you see someone and you’re attracted to that someone. It doesn’t matter if it’s a man or a woman…or whatever. You should just go for it. It’s the same thing with clothes; when you see a piece of clothing that pleases you and makes you feel good, just go for it. The concept of masculine and feminine clothes or sizes is completely ridiculous. I think life is beyond that and that we can go beyond that too.

On The Color Black

Anything that is not black is not necessary. Black helps create the unisex look easily. It’s a color that fits men and women. It’s a color that’s timeless. And I’m really into timeless.

On His Inspiration

My inspiration is always the same. Symmetry is very important for me, so everything is symmetrical. Yes you can wear it in another way that makes it asymmetrical but the base of the garment has to be completely symmetrical: graphic, straight lines all the time.

On His Design Process

It’s really mathematic. I sketch graphic lines and then these graphic lines become a piece of clothing. I never studied fashion. After high school I did styling because I had good taste in clothes, but then I had to learn [the design side] myself. So the way I sketch is similar to graphic design or an architect’s lines. It’s not about just thinking of a garment or a piece of clothing.

On His Childhood

I never really grew up with fashion that is the industry today, but I grew up with the aesthetic. When I was a kid, my mom would always go to her pattern maker and choose fabrics. I remember she would take me to this fabric store and then she would go to the hairdresser—and she would always wear red lipstick. I think these were my first aesthetic fashion moments.

On Trends

Looking at trends is really bad for you. If you look at what others do, you can get influenced very easily, and you can lose the focus of what you really want. Automatically, you can see what’s going to happen because you feel fashion, you feel art, you feel aesthetic…you feel these things. I think it’s in the air. I don’t like trends and I don’t think it’s a good way to teach people how to dress and what to wear.

On His Role Models

I don’t really look at other designers, but Chanel, when she put men’s pants on women…it was brilliant, and Azzedine Alaïa for his artisanal work. He’s one of my favorites because he has his own style and sticks to it. He doesn’t follow trends. He does whatever he wants

On Beauty

There are many people that don’t really look with their eyes. There are these few people that get things that are beautiful but beautiful in a real way. But everything is an illusion, so what is beautiful to me is not beautiful for another.

On His Evolution

Something that people don’t know is that I’ll use some classics from the first collection for the new collection, and they still look modern and look up-to-date. I always focus on what I want to wear, on my own style and I refresh it from season to season. I would never change it completely, because I’m not doing it to please someone. I’m doing it to please myself .

On Art

Art is for the eye I and I don’t think it’s something that should be possessed. It’s more of an illusion. I think life is an illusion in general, an illusion of something that makes us believe. It makes you escape. I think fashion makes people dream and I think art is the sum of, maybe not dreaming, but it makes people think. It makes people react. It makes people curious.