Browsing: Saks Fifth Avenue

India and Indians seem to have a finger in every pie, and recently New Yorkers got to see the full gamut of India’s 7 billion dollar leather industry, from bags to stylish leather jackets in every possible hue.

Saks Fifth Avenue, Cole Haan, Jones New York, Levi’s, Guess, and Norma Kamali were just some of the style leaders who came in to check out Indian leather at Know Leather, Now India, a sourcing show at the Westin Hotel. Models displayed a rich array of fashion garments which underlined the fact that Indian leather has moved from just basics to high fashion too.

A visit to Naeem Khan’s penthouse showroom is like being transported into a different world. It’s embedded in the bustling garment district of New York with its countless wholesale showrooms, and you see racks of dresses and the occasional store mannequin being ferried on the crowded pavements. Ascend to Khan’s 10th floor showroom, and you are in an 18,000 foot space with soaring ceilings and a touch of 30’s Hollywood.
Ever since the news broke that he was designing First Lady Michelle Obama’s gown for the State Dinner in honor of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Khan’s phone hasn’t stopped ringing. Now with the passing of a few weeks, I managed to have a face-to-face chat with him, asking him of course, about the famous dress.