Before showtime, Naeem Khan said he was returning to his roots with “simpler, cleaner silhouettes” inspired by Halston — with whom he worked in the Seventies and Eighties — and by Yves Saint Laurent. “I am also trying to rebuild my daywear,” he noted.
But Khan’s intention to tone the collection down a bit was hard to reconcile, given the sheer number of scallop-fringed dresses, trains, ballgowns and matching capes on his runway. And make no mistake, his elaborate signature floral-embroidered or sequined gowns, appliquéd dresses and laces are always beautiful, but what was newest — and in his cited direction — were the below-the-knee color-blocked jersey dresses in red, white and black. Those, along with an off-the-shoulder floral peasant blouse worn with a long flared skirt, an embroidered A-line off-the-shoulder look and a printed tie-front dress — all in multicolored florals — gave this lineup its charm.