Last Fall, Naeem Khan hinted that a couture show in Paris may be in his future. Considering July’s couture calendar is more crowded than ever—new additions this season include Khan’s peers J.Mendel and Giles Deacon—it wouldn’t be a surprise. For Resort, he put those ambitions temporarily on hold and ventured into opposite territory: daywear. He’s done beaded sweaters and embroidered separates in the past, but never quite to this extent. To wit, a pair of sheer, off-the-shoulder blouses covered in Khan’s signature embroideries were styled with shorts.
As expected, there were plenty of glimmering red-carpet gowns on display, but like those cold-shoulder tops, the best ones were a little unconventional. For instance, a simple black tulip-hemmed dress was paired with a sparkling jet-beaded blouse; it functioned as an evening jacket, but would look even cooler with jeans. (The November ’88 cover of Vogue featuring Michaela Bercu in a $10,000 jeweled Christian Lacroix sweater and acid-wash denim springs to mind.) As for the holiday party season—this collection will arrive in November and December—Khan’s customers should skip his traditional columns and pick up the graphic, color-blocked jumpsuits instead.
