Bijan (designer)

Bijan Pakzad
Born	(1944-04-04)4 April 1944 Tehran, Iran
Died	16 April 2011 (aged 67) Beverly Hills, California, U.S.A.
Nationality	Iranian
Occupation	Designer
Known for	Designing men's clothing, men's and women's fragrances
Label	Bijan
Awards	FiFi Most Successful Men's Fragrance 1988 FiFi Best Women's Fragrance Package 1988 FiFi Men's Fragrance Star of the Year Specialty/ Department Stores 1997 FiFi Best National Advertising Campaign – Men's 1997 1995 Ig Nobel Chemistry Prize 2010 Otis College of Art and Design Otis Design Legend Award

Bijan Pakzad (/biˌʒɑːn ˈpækzæd/; Persian: بیژن پاکزاد) (generally known simply as bijan) (4 April 1940 or 1944– 16 April 2011) was an Iranian designer of menswear and fragrances, and self-titled "Owner of The Most Expensive Store in the World."

Personal history

Born in Tehran, Iran, Bijan migrated to Los Angeles in 1973. His exclusive boutique on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills was established in 1976 and can be visited by "appointment only." It has been described as "the most expensive store in the world".

Bijan's main residence was in Beverly Hills, California, but he was also known to own residences in New York and Malibu, as well as Milan and Florence, Italy. Up until the time of his death, Bijan was one of few Iranians in the media limelight who were still permitted to enter Iran.

Bijan was also known for his automobiles. Most notable in his car collection was a yellow Bentley Azure with black interior, as well as a Black Bentley Azure with yellow interior. He was also known to have a black Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren with a customized paint scheme, a yellow Ferrari 430 Spider, a yellow Rolls Royce Drophead coupe, and a Bugatti Veyron, all of which he was known to park outside of his Rodeo Drive boutique.

In the late 1980s Bijan designed a golden Colt revolver. The gun had a leather handgrip fashioned for a .38-cal. Colt revolver inlaid in the cylinder was 56 grams of 24-karat gold, the gun was placed in a mink pouch in a Baccarat crystal case embossed with the customer's name. Bijan's own signature is engraved in gold on the barrel of the gun. Only 200 such guns were made. In 2005, one of these guns sold to Jacob Nahamia at Christie's auction house for over $50,000 USD.

In 2000 Bijan courted controversy when an advertisement featuring a "rotund [nude] model named Bella" and himself was at first rejected by New York magazines before it was accepted by Tina Brown's Talk magazine.

Death

On April 14, 2011, Bijan suffered a stroke and was immediately rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He had brain surgery but never recovered and he died two days later on April 16, 2011 at 8:05 am. He was 71 years-old.

Business

Bijan dressed some of the world's most powerful men: President of the United States Barack Obama, former President of the United States George W. Bush, Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, American actor Tom Cruise, German TV host Thomas Gottschalk, British actor Sir Anthony Hopkins, President of Russia Vladimir Putin, U.S. Senator John Kerry, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair,Michael Jordan, Paul Allen, Jay Leno, Giorgio Armani, Usher, Carlos Slim Helu, Steve Wynn, Oscar de la Renta, Tom Ford, Shahram Nazeri and U.S. President Ronald Reagan have all been dressed by Bijan.

Bijan's fragrances for both men and women are known for their distinctive circular glass flacon with an open center and a dividing web. When half full, the fragrance fills two separate chambers, seemingly defying the law of gravity that liquid seeks its own level. One of these perfume bottles is featured in the permanent exhibit of the Smithsonian Institution.

According to the 2001 Los Angeles Times Calendar Section, the Bijan Perfume and Fashion Business has brought in an estimated $4 billion in sales worldwide.

Family

Bijan had three children. His first-born, Daniela Pakzad, from his first marriage, and his other two children—Alexandra Pakzad and Nicolas Bijan Pakzad, from his second marriage, to Irish-Japanese Model/Interior Designer Tracy Murdock. His daughter Alexandra is a law student, works as a fashion model, and lives in Los Angeles. His son Nicolas also works for Bijan Designer for Men as well as Fashion World Inc. Nicolas lives in Malibu, CA, where he attends Pepperdine University, in 2009 he was named Malibu Citizen of the Year by The Malibu Times newspaper. In a 2009 interview with Signature Magazine, Bijan stated that his passion in life was his three children and his two dogs.

References

CNN : Bijan Dies at 67 (2011/04/15)

External links

• Official site
• Bijan Billboard Gallery