show and tell

Rad Hourani Makes Unisex Clothes Because He Thinks Everyone Is Born Unisex

Androgyny was at its peak on the Rad Hourani catwalk yesterday. Both the male and female models dressed in tights, high heels, bike shorts, and layers of black on the runway. “Unisex is my main focus,” Hourani told us. “All my pieces are unisex so you can wear it feminine, masculine, a guy can wear it, a girl can wear it, at any age, anytime, anywhere.” A series of coats featured multiple compartments and zippers, so one piece could transform into several different shapes, while bags strapped onto jackets so they looked like they were actually attached to the outerwear. But it’s not a matter of men dressing like women, or vice versa. “I don’t like to put limits to gender,” the Canadian-born designer explained. “I think everybody is feminine, and everybody is born unisex.” Not physically, of course. “I don’t believe in making differences between women and men. I think we’re born just, like, a human on the planet and it’s just the way we’re conditioned that we create desire.”

He may think it’s a state of mind, but not everyone at his show did — particularly a few male models who had trouble walking in three-inch-high stacked heels and plodded down the runway a tad ungracefully. But just because Rad put his men in heels — he was wearing a pair himself — doesn’t mean that every man should pick up a pair. “I think it should be a choice,” he said. “I find it makes the silhouette longer, it makes it perfect,” he explained. “But I don’t think anyone should do anything they don’t feel like. It’s not all about me. Many people are like, ‘Oh, this is a message to put all men in high heels.’ And it’s like, no, it’s just my choice.” Plus there are the safety issues to consider. Even a well-heeled man like Hourani gets into some shoe trouble. “I broke my heel once on the stairs,” he told us of his worst footwear adventure. “Someone pushed me from the back and it just broke.” But that didn’t stop him: “I danced all night with one heel.” What a pro. Maybe it’s time to tell the boys to start practicing.

See a slideshow of the whole Rad Hourani collection.
See a slideshow of the accessories at Rad Hourani.

Rad Hourani Makes Unisex Clothes Because He Thinks Everyone Is Born Unisex