The conclusion of my two-part interview with designer Naeem Khan – conducted in the Chairman’s Salon of Wynn Las Vegas, immediately following the annual Flair for Care, benefiting Nathan Adelson Hospice – which was highlighted by the runway presentation of Khan’s AW15 collection.

SHULMANSAYS:  The dress that you designed for the First Lady to wear at the Obamas’ first State Dinner in office [in November 2009 – in honor of the Prime Minister of India and his wife] – it was just stupendous. 

NAEEM KHAN:  That was a challenge for me, in the sense that it incorporated the woman and her place in life, and the occasion, timing – it is all so important.  To me, if you understand that side to the woman, it plays an important role – because wearing the wrong color or wearing something that is inappropriate for the season or place indicates an ignorance of fashion (which is obviously not the case with the First Lady).  That dress was so well placed: It changed my entire life.

SS:  It was the perfect confluence of time, place, person, color, how it played with her complexion...  It all merged so flawlessly

NK:  It was also keeping things simple.  The styling, the jewelry, the make-up…  All kept simple.  It was all Warhol-inspired flowers, which again, I did with Halston-inspired beading in sterling silver.  So it was very American, with traditional work from India; but done in a very modern way.

SS:  How do you want women to feel, when they are wearing your clothes.

NK:  Empowered.  Confident.  That they’ve arrived.  That they are making a statement.  I want to make them feel happy, because everyone wants to touch and feel them.  That they feel important.  As human beings, we want to feel that way.  I want to feel that way.  I want women who wear my clothes to feel super, super important.

[By this point, many of Las Vegas’ super, super important women had gathered around the table at which we were sitting (mostly for Naeem, though I did receive a few “Hello, Darlings!”).  And so, with an amused nod, I set the man free, to make these women feel happy.  Not that any in this group needed any help feeling that she’d arrived.   But ensuring that the sartorial armor she donned would make the statement she sought to make?   Every day, and twice on Sundays!

And while I was drawn (like a stylish moth to a flamer) to the rack of floor-length beaded caftans; I did encourage one friend to try-on an exquisite beaded metallic top.  It looked so marvelous on her, that she bought it, on the spot.  No worries, Naeem - I was happy to pitch-in.  That’s just how we roll, ‘round these parts.

Naeem Khan | Autumn Winter 2015
Wynn Las Vegas
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Get into it!

In an era that might as well be summed up with the hashtag #OscarsSoBoring, there were actually some folks on the red carpet who were styled to the gods and dressed in a manner we ascribe to movie stars!