Naeem Khan – Pre Spring/Summer 2016 Ready-To-Wear

There’s no telling when inspiration will strike. Naeem Khan loves to travel, and his Resort collection reflected as much: pink-and-red Japanese embroideries on silk faille, embellishments reflective of the Ottoman Empire on a square-collar smoky blue gown, and Indian mirror work on a boxy crop top and matching dirndl skirt. “A vision of exotica,” as he put it. But it was in the Tampa, Florida, airport, of all places, where Khan sketched some of the collection’s most beautiful pieces, including a gold bugle-beaded caftan.

Perhaps Khan needed to be in a place like that to truly appreciate the dreamier spots he has visited. But while the designer managed to create individually compelling designs—from a hand-tucked tulle ball skirt in Marie Antoinette blue to a cream silk piqué shift embroidered with black beading—the collection didn’t come together as a whole. It would have been nice to see him channel all that good energy into just a few great ideas.