An Education

One of Michelle Obama’s favourite designers, Naeem Khan opens up on how the polarising influences of his grandfather’s workshop in Mumbai and the era of Studio 54 in Manhattan continue to shape his vision.

- Esha Mahajan

Every designer needs a story. What is my story? Who am I?” For  Khan, it’s a question best answered by his creations. By one dress in particular, actually: A strapless cream-coloured gown in a silhouette inspired by Marilyn Monroe, with sterling silver appliqués reminiscent of Andy Warhol’s poppies, embellished using a technique he learned from his grandfather. Michelle Obama immortalised the dress when she wore it to the Indian State Dinner at the White House in 2009, but it’s special even without the former First Lady’s endorsement. Without force or conflict, it brings together the legacy of embroidery Khan inherited and the decadence he experienced when he moved to New York City in the 1970s.