It has often been said that ‘clothes make the man.’ Though perhaps it is not the original intended meaning of the idiom, the phrase carries an insinuation of gender construction: clothing is, for most people, how we define and express our gender. The fashion world is of course deeply divided between men’s and women’s fashion, perpetuating a gender binary that is difficult to break.
Enter Rad Hourani. The young Jordanian designer is redefining the essence of fashion by creating a line of haute couture clothing that evades gender. Since launching in Paris in 2007, Rad Hourani’s line has made quite a stir in the fashion world by creating truly beautiful and elegant designs that are truly gender-less.
Instead of thinking about particular bodies, garments, ideas of masculinity or feminity, Hourani emerges from a new generation of artists seeking to break the mold of gender and cultural construction. “I started imagining clothes the same way I started creating images: with a sense of curiosity and innocence driven by no-background background.”
Hourani was deliberate about his choices to evade the classifications required of desingers: “My clothes…are asexual, aseasonal, they come from no place, no time, no tradition.” Drawing from a palette of monochromatic colors and a range of geometric shapes, Hourani’s designs are both sophisticated yet radical, futuristic yet classical.
The bold move has paid off: Hourani is the first official invited member by La Chambre Syndicale De La Haute Couture in Paris to design and show a unisex haute couture show in fashion history. His show took place during Paris Fashion Week 2012. He has also shown in New York’s 2013 Fashion Week.
Hourani’s remarkable concept also comes in ready to wear line: Rad by Rad Hourani.
In a world where gender division and discrimination is the norm, particularly in the fashion industry, it is incredibly refreshing to see a vision that transcends these increasingly antiquated boundaries.
Check out more at www.radhourani.com.
Related article: Designer Melissa Millan redefines basics with her brand Androgyny
