18 April 2007
Iranian-American Menswear Designer Conquers the Luxury Market
Fashion mogul combines entrepreneurship, high-end tailoring
Washington -- When corporate titans, statesmen or star entertainers are looking for impeccably tailored suits with custom details, they often turn to Iranian-born designer Bijan, a U.S. fashion giant whose name is synonymous with luxury menswear.
The designer built his label by catering to an international set of elite customers, but Bijan is known even to people who never could afford his apparel because he appears in virtually all his company’s advertisements and is closely identified with a popular line of men’s and women’s fragrances sold in the United States.
Now based primarily in Beverly Hills, California, Bijan -- whose full name is Bijan Pakzad -- was born to a wealthy family in Tehran in 1944 and attended a Swiss boarding school before emigrating to the United States in 1973. His privileged background gave him an appreciation for luxurious materials and fine workmanship, so when he entered the fashion industry in the United States, he established himself as a designer of couture menswear. Analysts say Bijan’s ambition and self-confidence were almost as important to his success as his perfectionism and eye for detail.
His client base includes roughly 22,000 of the world’s most powerful men, according to trade journals. Bijan has designed clothing for heads of state (including George W. Bush, Vladimir Putin, Tony Blair, Bill Clinton and the late Ronald Reagan), senators, ambassadors, royalty (Britain’s Prince Charles and the late Prince Rainier of Monaco), actors and entertainers (Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Cruise and Elton John), athletes (Michael Jordan), media moguls (CNN founder Ted Turner) and many fellow fashion designers (Giorgio Armani, Tom Ford and Oscar de la Renta).
In one of his rare interviews, Bijan told Apparel News that he resists trends in favor of a more traditional aesthetic, which he describes as “classically elegant.” For example, when baggy suits began to dominate the runways, Bijan dismissed them and maintained the trim, British-inspired silhouettes for which he is famous.
Asked to cite his favorite style icons, Bijan told the Los Angeles Business Journal that he admires the style of many Old Hollywood film stars. “You cannot deny the elegance of Cary Grant or Clark Gable,” he said. “New Hollywood, however, is a different story.” Today, he said, many actors “simply borrow clothing and accessories for an event, and dress poorly the rest of the time.”
Bijan’s Beverly Hills boutique is open by appointment only. Although he has been criticized for this policy, the designer insists that it reinforces the highest levels of customer service -- and helps to preserve an aura of exclusivity. Besides, he said to Apparel News, “if a man is going to spend $400,000 on his visit [to the store], don’t you think it’s only fair that he have my full attention?”
FRAGRANCES YIELD BIG PROFITS
Bijan’s line of fragrances is the most lucrative aspect of his business, according to published reports. His firm’s annual fragrance earnings are estimated to be in excess of $300 million. In contrast, his couture business generates more than $40 million annually.
Still, Bijan says designing menswear is his true calling, and he clearly believes in the transformative power of well-made clothes. After all, “first impressions are very important,” he told the Los Angeles Business Journal. “It is a part of success. The people who run Fortune 500 companies understand this.”
A man may enter Bijan’s premises “looking like Woody Allen” and leave “looking like Cary Grant,” according to the Iran-oriented Web site IranPeyk.com. Bijan’s top clients receive leather-covered albums personalized with their numbered (and limited-edition) wardrobe items, along with suggestions on how to coordinate the pieces.
Bijan seems fully convinced that his approach to menswear will outlast trends that come and go in the fashion industry. As he explained to the Los Angeles Business Journal, “Classic looks will always remain.”
See also “For Iranian-born Designer, Fashion Is Ticket to American Dream.”
(USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
