Montreal-based stylist turned designer, Rad Hourani showcased his AW08 presentation at Bumble and Bumble on Friday. A completely untrained designer with no formal schooling, Rad’s first collection which showed in Paris last year, helped to quickly win him acclaim among his peers, and his style has already been compared to other famed designers like Helmut Lang.

His collection was created entirely in his signature colours - black and red. The pieces were androgynous, almost purposefully masking a woman’s natural silhouette, and the general feel of the collection was minimalist and stark. Many of the looks were layered, playing on different fabrics, but most prominently topped off with leather.

The most unusual piece was a leather coat that had sleeves adhered to the sides of the bodice (sort of like poncho meets straight jacket)! Definitely an impractical garment to say the least, but it served to highlight the young designer’s unique aesthetic and strong non-conformist perspective.