Naeem Khan has designed Hollywood's most glamorous gowns for the last 20 years. On his way to the top, he's never followed trends.

• Fashion designer Naeem Khan is celebrating his namesake brand's 20th anniversary this year.
• Insider spoke with him at his New York City studio ahead of his Valentine's Day runway show.

In an unassuming building in the middle of New York City's garment district, Naeem Khan has created a sparkling, fashion lover's oasis.

A platform of sky-high heels sits in the middle of his studio, and racks of slinky dresses line the room. There's also art across every wall, and models strut past.

Insider met Khan there during the start of New York Fashion Week to preview his latest collection: the House of Khan, 20 years of Glamour. Celebrating two decades of his namesake brand, the line is inspired by both Khan's career highlights and his vision of the brand's future.

"I just want to show off my work," Khan said about his latest creations. "I've been designing more than 20 years — I would say close to 40 years — but it's 20 years of Naeem Khan. So this collection is the best of Naeem."

20 years of Naeem Khan: Celebrating the designer's history and the world at large

Khan started designing his latest collection with one metallic shade in mind.

"I like the color of gold, and I wanted to do a whole gold collection — but of course, then it became too much gold," Khan said.

So he created a handful of other metallic pieces — including pirate-inspired looks and woven metal designs — before letting his inspiration wander and completely switching gears.

He started to envision printed organza fabric and told his team: "Call up Italy." As his ideas became more colorful, Khan said he turned to his home country of India and the peacocks that roam there for inspiration.

To an outsider, Khan's creative process might seem jumbled. But to the designer, it's simple: It's the story of his life.

Growing up in Cumballa Hill, India, Khan was destined to become a fashion designer. Four generations of his family designed textiles and clothing, including for Indian royal family members.

Then Khan moved to the United States in the late 1970s and began working an apprenticeship with Halston, the iconic American designer.

"It's so important for me that I take the route of where I come from," Khan said. "How do I mix the east and west of India and America, and my 20 years of love of the two countries?"

But he's also widely inspired by the rest of the world.

"The woman in Qatar lives a very different life than we do in America, but in the end, we are all the same. We all like beauty. We all like to have fun, and we all like to love," he said. "So when I design, I'm designing for the lady in Japan, the lady in Qatar, and the Hollywood star."

Fashion design is second nature to Khan

Over his four decades as a designer, Khan has made a mark on both the fashion world and pop culture.

He's hosted countless runway shows, showcased his designs across the world, and dressed some of the biggest stars in Hollywood — including Allison Janney's see-through gown in 2022 and Pamela Anderson's statement red dress this year.

When it came time to design his 20th-anniversary collection, Khan knew exactly what to do.

"It was actually quite simple for me because I've been doing it for so many years," he said. "It's taking something classic but giving it a twist. That's number one."

His 20th-anniversary collection, for instance, includes floor-length gowns embellished top to bottom with sequins that are entirely unique, and purple-and-green metallic pieces inspired by the feathers of peacocks that were each handmade by Khan.

"Number two: I design my own fabrics," Khan added. "So when I design these fabrics, I just have to make sure that it's so incredibly unusual that nobody else has done it — that it's something I have done my way."

Any designer can create a metallic gown, but the gold dresses in Khan's latest collection were inspired by his unique experience in Indian villages seeing "gypsies beat metal by hand on the side of the road" to "create incredible art from it."

Of course, his vast experience can sometimes be his biggest flaw.

"Every time I create, I'm like, 'Oh, maybe I can do better,'" he said with a laugh. "You're supposed to design a hundred pieces and then you have 300 pieces sitting in front of you. So you have to know when to stop."

That's why, according to Khan, some of his latest designs wouldn't be completed until probably an hour before his Valentine's Day show.

"It always happens that way," he said. "I just can't give up. To make something perfect, you have to give it till the last moment."

But even when completed at the last minute, Khan is more than confident in his work. After all, he's designing for himself — not the fashion industry, an audience, or anything else.

"My clothes are what I like; I don't follow trends," he said. "[The collection] is going to be amazing. You're going to see."