R E P O R T / Rad Hourani Gallery

On a narrow street in Paris, the Rad Hourani Galerie is a black little block from the outside and an all white brightly lighted space on the inside. But as expected from rad Hourani; this is not just your regular boutique. You might walk in someday and find no clothes at all but only an exposition of photographs. Or they might have just rearranged the furniture and transformed it into a showroom for the press and buyers. Rad told me he also likes to hang a few photographs with the pieces in the image on display right beside them.

When we came in to attend the launch and presentation of Rad's ready to wear collection #8(not the usual ss/14 label), Haute Couture and ready to wear were mixed on the floating unisex racks. I've been a big admirer of Rad for many years, specially because he completely reinvented the game called fashion. It was fantastic chatting with him about how he has built a manufacturing team around him in Montreal, about how much he loves to travel and how he thinks further than fashion; he shoots his own campaigns and designs the interior for his shop/show space for example.

But what most blew me away were the technicalities of the garments, specially the haute couture pieces. The way they were made and cut were just completely different than the traditional way of tailoring. Instead it reminded me much more of how a building would be constructed. Every single detail and seam was part of the pattern and the bigger construction. And even the way the garments are finished is signature Rad; invisible seams throughout, geometric lines, angled and square necklines, broad hems. There is so much depth and shape created by the way he works, it is best appreciated in real life where you can touch, feel and see the pieces move.

If you're asking yourself; where the pictures of these fantastic clothes are, I didn't post them because honestly, a flat 2D photograph does not do these garments justice. Trust me on this one that you just have to visit the Rad Hourani Gallery if you are in Paris.

Rad Hourani Gallery
Rue Charlot 75
Paris