A NEW SECOND: There’s a new name to add to the list of young designers who have introduced a secondary line: Rad Hourani. The move, he explained, wasn’t dictated so much by the economy as by his desire to expand his own wardrobe beyond statement pieces. “I wanted something I could wear everywhere, anytime,” said the Paris-based Canadian Hourani, best known for his experimental cuts and hard-edged rocker-Goth vibe. The approach should come as no surprise to those familiar with the former stylist — Hourani launched his main collection three years ago “for myself and my friends,” he remarked. “This is exactly the same thing.”

But there’s no denying that the timing happens to work in the designer’s favor. Wholesale prices for the diffusion line range from $100 to $300, while the core collection goes from $500 to $5,000. Though the two labels share a similar m.o. — a dark, urban palette and angular, unisex designs — Rad by Rad Hourani, available in stores and on his Web site come November, has a much lighter hand: languid T-shirts and draped jackets cut in organic cottons. “It’s still sleek and chic, but in a more casual way,” said Hourani, who still has plans to show his main line on Sept. 14 during New York Fashion Week.

Click to see 12 individual looks from the collection>>