Fashion Phenomenon

Talent recognizes talent, the saying goes.

It was certainly the case when Roy Halston, one of the most iconic designers of the 70s and 80s, saw potential in a 19-year-old unknown college student named Naeem Khan. His father, who ran the family’s textile business in India, had traveled to New York for an appointment with Halston — and Khan happened to tag along. 

“It was my lucky afternoon,” Khan, now 63, says in retrospect. “I was doing nothing and I knew nobody. And Halston started asking me questions about how things were made. I knew so much because of my years being part of the family.” 

In the U.S. on a tourist visa, he had to return home, but came back six months later at the age of 20 to start his first apprenticeship working for one of the biggest names in American fashion. 

Prior to meeting Halston, Khan, who had been majoring in economics, was already eyeing a move to New York, where he hoped to attend a top design school like FIT or Parsons. A keen eye for fashion, after all, ran in his blood. 

“My grandfather was one of the leading embroiders in India,” he explains. “For the royal family or anybody prominent, my grandfather was the man they came to. He would take me to the workshops and I would sit there, this little boy, playing with reels of colored thread underneath men who were embroidering like six yards of fabric. So, in my early years in India, it was that and then also watching my family’s involvement, going to the factory with my uncle and my dad, watching things being made. I was learning through osmosis.”

With Halston, his education continued. “One of the many things I learned from him was to let the fabric speak to you,” recalls Khan. “When the fabric speaks to you, you know you will do right by it. And when you’re that engrossed in creating that fabric, it makes a beautiful, beautiful dress.” 

During his early New York City years, Khan also absorbed lessons from Andy Warhol, spending time with Warhol in his studio, where the artist and his eclectic crowd further influenced Khan’s own evolving creative vision. In fact, it was Warhol’s paintings of poppy flowers that served as the inspiration for one of Khan’s own signature embroidery patterns. 

In 1981 Khan launched his first label, Riazee, named for his mother, followed by the introduction of his eponymous brand, Naeem Khan in 2003. In describing his aesthetic, Khan says his clothes are designed to project confidence and savvy. “It’s about wearing something that makes you feel really happy, like you have arrived. Those are the kind of clothes I want to make.” 

He has unquestionably succeeded, with the most stylish women in the world relying on his designs for major public events and occasions. Among the countless A-listers he’s dressed are Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Emily Blunt, Sarah Jessica Parker, Taylor Swift, Eva Longoria, Nicole Richie and Kate Hudson. He’s also frequently collaborated with Michelle Obama, who wore a regal Naeem Khan strapless sequined gown for her first state dinner, where she and the President hosted the Prime Minister of India. 

“That dress was iconic, I feel, because it was a combination of my life with Halston and Andy Warhol…and the work on it was something that I saw my grandfather make when I was a young boy,” he notes. “All of that in one dress, it’s like the America that I live in. I’ve done thousands of things for movie stars, but that one really catches my fancy.”

Another career highlight that carried deep personal significance was the short-sleeved blue and white dress he created for Kate Middleton when she and Prince William visited the Taj Mahal during their 2016 week-long tour of India. 

“The dress itself had motifs that were taken from the Mogul Dynasty, India’s period of ultimate opulence — all the incredible palaces and all the incredible art and architecture. I took motifs from that era and embroidered it in a very modern way for her. I wanted to take parts of history and use that in my clothes. It was an incredible honor.” 

In 2013 Khan launched his first bridal collection and has since become a go-to designer among the jet-set for exquisitely crafted couture wedding gowns. Each season, his airy, feminine wedding wear underscores a theme of romanticism over risqué. 

“The most important thing for a bride is to keep it classic,” he advises. “It’s not the day to experiment. You want to respect all the people that are there for you: your parents, your in-laws. And make sure the dress is comfortable. People forget you’re in it for like 10 hours. You need to be comfortable. It can be opulent without heavy beading by using incredible textures and creating dimension instead.” 

In the wake of the pandemic, Khan believes women have become inclined to spend more, not just on wedding dresses, but on gowns and outfits that help them feel their most vibrant for every special occasion. 

“From the COVID-19 experience, people are realizing that life is short, anything can happen. You really have to celebrate life — and wearing clothes like mine is a celebration of life. My business is off the charts right now because people are celebrating.” 

For Khan, it’s also been a time of reflection and gratitude. He recently put a stunning book out with the publisher Rizzoli that’s a vivid collection of some of his most memorable designs to date. 

“I think it was high time,” he remarks. “Rizzoli came to me and thought it would be a great idea. It’s been an incredible success. It tells the story of who I am, what I bring from a country like India and how it has merged with America to create a new vocabulary, which is my brand.” 

 He is elated his children have chosen to work with him. His son Shariq is the label’s chief operating officer and son Zaheen is director of couture sales. It had always been his dream to keep the business in the family, he says, but the decision was theirs to make. Not only is it a personal pleasure to see them so often — their offices are next to each other and they regularly gather for lunch — Khan says their business leadership allows him the time and space to explore new creative endeavors, one of which might include a relocation to Florida. He’s already enjoyed the lifestyle of a part-time resident, having bought a 4,500 square foot triplex overlooking Biscayne Bay in 2008 that Architectural Digest hailed as a “minimalist masterpiece.”

“I want to move a part of my design studio to Miami because I feel there’s a ton of talent there,” he explains. “I have this idea of building something in Miami, where I could have my headquarters. New York is great, but if you look at the garment center, it’s slowly shrinking. I think in today’s time, you don’t have to be in one place — you could be anywhere — and I love Miami. I have a home in Florida and I play polo, so with so many interests in Miami, why not mix in a little pleasure with my work?” 

As 2022 continues and blooms into spring, Khan believes bright, celebratory colors will become the fashion trend that leads us into the season. “I think happiness is what everyone is looking for. It’s not one color, necessarily, but bright, shiny, glamorous ones. Happy colors, I would say. Right now, people want to wear things that make them feel happy.”