Awards season is just around the corner, which means it's the busiest time of the year for eveningwear aficionado Naeem Khan. He'll be traveling to Los Angeles in early January to entice celebrity stylists with his finery, but he's also been receiving requests for less formal numbers, and those were what stood out in his new pre-fall collection. To-the-knee black dresses were relatively simple aside for the gobs of crystals, jewels, and pearls clustered at the chest. Another cocktail shift with an intricate baroque pattern created from tiny pieces of laser-cut leather was the reported favorite among retailers. Still, starlets looking to make an over-the-top red carpet statement will opt for Khan's more ornate fare. In light of the pressures on designers to be ever faster and more commercial, his painstakingly laborious beadwork and handcrafted details feel refreshingly old school.
