Changing the Game: Rad!

POLAROID COURTESY RAD HOURANI

Adore it on the runway now, buy it six months later. For years, this has been the perplexing ethos of the Fashion Calendar. But with instantaneous exposure to what were once closed previews of next season’s collections via bloggersand online media, and the #NYFW hash-tag that has monopolized our Twitter feeds this week, the concept seems outdated, to say the least. Rad Hourani agrees and through the sophomore collection of his diffusion line, Rad by Rad, he intends to put the “ready” back in ready-to-wear.
 
Today at 3 PM, the 28-year-old Canadian designer, who, through his gothic, unisex eponymous line has, has proven himself to be a veritable cultural visionary, will parade his second Rad by Rad collection down the Milk Studios runway. And, whether you’re sitting in the front row, or watching the live stream on radhourani.com, you’ll be able to go out and buy each and every geometric look the moment Hourani takes his bow.

 
“When you see something on the runway, you want to have access to it right away,” says Hourani. “By the time a collection reaches stores, six months after it’s seen on the runway, it’s already boring. My whole focus is timeless, seasonless, genderless. So it makes sense for me to give my customers access to the clothes right away,” adds the designer.
 
Rad by Rad’s instantly-available Spring 2011 offers signature his-or-her black, white and grey looks. Bold angles and clean lines of PVC pants and architectural white denim jackets are offset by sheer voile silk, crepe and loose, layered draping. Reversible white chemises are a new feature and, as always, every garment morphs into something completely different with not much more than the pull of a zipper. Supplementing the collection are two new collaborations: the first, a top-secret footwear range, will be revealed on the runway. But the second, a limited edition pair of futuristic visor-esque shades crafted out of feather-light metal by Mykita, are pictured above and will be available in limited quantities online. If you want to snatch up Rad by Rad’s new looks post-show (and trust us, you will), sprint to Seven or Oak in New York, or simply visit the designer’s website at www.radhourani.com.