To understand the world of Naeem Khan, one only needs to look at his front row, full of uptown ladies and intimate friends of the brand, many in beaded fringe and fully embellished pieces from previous collections. It is a world of opulence and the utmost glamour, which is what you’d expect from a man who can count Halston as a mentor.
“The Seventies,” Kahn said, backstage before his runway show. “Mick Jagger, the Beatles going to India, I grew up in that era.”
That isn’t to say Khan isn’t grounded in reality, in fact it was the current state of things that also informed his new collection. “All of our division today, it reminds me of the Seventies,” Khan added, talking about empowering his women of today.
Naeem Khan RTW Fall 2019
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He opened with a look that embodied his flashy decade’s theme: a black embroidered pant with mosaic print blouse and a colorful scarf of feathers. It’s the type of the frothy yet pulled-together look that he is known for.
Indian embroideries, feathers, fringe and quilting made for a wide array of fabric manipulations on his long and lean silhouettes. The collection had movement injected into it, such as the loose-fitting sequin pants or the many varieties of printed dresses that breezed down the runway.
“I really designed everything as a layer, you can take pieces and mix and match. There are a lot combinations to be had,” he noted. To his point, there were a wide variety of jackets, tops and pants that could do the job.
“We have millions of dollars in jewels,” added Khan about the jewelry, all provided by Chopard. Over the top, yes, but exactly what he does best.
And the wattage didn’t stop there. The finale brought supermodel all-stars Pat Cleveland, Karen Bjornson and Alva Chinn, each in liquid-like racer-cut silver sequin gowns that glided down the runway to cheers from the crowd.