There was something a bit more youthful than usual about Naeem Khan’s Pre-Fall 2017 collection. Maybe he’s become inspired by a certain kind of contemporary young woman, even those close in age to Sasha and Malia Obama, both of whom he dressed for the First Family’s final Christmas card photo this month. More to the point, the designer is “feeling very strongly about separates” and “creating very wearable clothes,” as he put it in the showroom—but those that still feel like his signature riff on classic couture. The ubiquitous industry term see-now-buy-now was one Khan used several times, especially when describing looks such as a cashmere sweater and ball skirt pairing, or off-the-shoulder lace blouses and fringe jackets, of which he also said “any woman could wear with a pair of jeans that is already in their closet.”
Khan may have pivoted toward more retail-friendly designs this time around, but he certainly didn’t back away from the bread and butter that is the red carpet–ready, drama-filled evening gown. Most eye-catching of this bunch was the tea-length tulle dress with a hand-beaded bodice, as well as a halter gown embroidered with small silver and red dots that looked like slinking waves when zoomed out. There were also plenty of watercolor florals, ranging in hue from black and white to yellow and dark green, the latter of which decorated an evening dress accentuated by a plunging neckline and black crochet detailing at the waist and on the sleeves. It was all certainly intended for a slightly cooler member of the glitterati, but nonetheless, Khan’s quintessential glitz still managed to, quite literally, outshine the rest.
