Given that designer Naeem Khan specializes in glamour and shimmer, it’s no surprise Taylor Swift recently enlisted him to design a look for her European Eras tour. “I’ve designed for her on many occasions,” said Khan. “She’s such a powerful [artist.]” Working with the superstar inspired some of the fringed mini dresses found in his new resort collection, which were fabricated using glass beads. “For Taylor, I mixed three different colors—black, silver, and gold,” said Khan, though his resort dresses came in monochromatic reds or blues. “They’re fun little dresses that you can dance in.’
Khan’s new assortment of resort evening attire wasn’t entirely dedicated to Swift, however. He said he wanted to strip things back and focus on refinement and quiet elegance. Khan is known for his ornate beadwork, but this time around, his dresses were devoid of heavy, over-the-top embellishments—though he still had a focus on dazzling sequins or intricate lace work. “This season, I needed to take a step back and make real clothes for the travel and party season,” he said. “I wanted to bring simplicity back to glamour.”
The highlights were the black, long-sleeved column gowns which had bursts of gold or silver sequins along the front. “It almost looks like electricity—a zap of static in the front,” he said. A burgundy sequined halter gown, with a rosette at the neckline, was also designed to be comfortable and to pack well (for the jetsetter, of course). “We did them on these incredible stretch materials that don’t wrinkle,” he explained.
Though most of the frocks were clean-cut and streamlined, Khan did venture into more voluminous ball gown territory, one of his signature silhouettes. Sugary pink A-line gowns were created using an embroidered raffia overlay. “You twist the grass and embroider with it, then give it a metallic sheen,” he said. “It gives a great structure.” Floor-length, powder-blue gowns were also made with custom laces.
For the more low-key customer, Khan experimented with textural treatments, too; another dress featured silver and black sequins arranged in a tweed-like fabric. “For when you want to feel glamorous, but a little understated,” he said. “I just wanted the clothes to be realistic, wearable, modern, and fun.”
