Bijan Pakzad, Dead at 67

[MikeDT]

Originally Posted by SpooPoker

You guys never heard of Bijan?!

Not until now. Was he known outside of the US?

 

[pvrhye]

Originally Posted by SpooPoker

You guys never heard of Bijan?!

I'm about 400$/year from being in conversations where the name might appear.

I learned it on the forvm

 

[rach2jlc]

His men's fragrance, widely available, is quite nice for a mainstream scent. I'll wear a spritz or two today in his memory.

Never bought anything of his (clothing wise), never had much reason even to consider it, but nevertheless I always liked that he added a sense of fun and glitz to men's dressing, which even at its highest end often lacks a sense of romance and takes itself FAR too seriously. Like his items or not, he seemed to love what he did, and seeing that store and the yellow Rolls was a lot more fun than a dusty old bespoke workshop with a roll of cloth in the front window.

RIP!

 

[bjornb17]

Bijan was the man

 

[HarleyBob]

I like how he said he was sorry that his clothing was the most expensive clothing in the world. I have a feeling he wasn't "too sorry" about it. Got to give the guy his dues. His clothing probably wasn't any better than other top designers/makers but his marketing was outstanding.

 

[mmkn]

Originally Posted by lasbar

products

Although his style was idiosyncratic, his product is of much substance. The brand Zilli comes to mind. My local tailor has altered one his suits made for a NBA star and told me that it was the best quality made suits he has ever seen.

Originally Posted by rach2jlc

men's fragrance . . .
yellow . . .

Loved the stuff . . .

Great lemon yellow, very distinctive.

RIP.

- M

 

[lasbar]

Although his style was idiosyncratic, his product is of much substance. The brand Zilli comes to mind. My local tailor has altered one his suits made for a NBA star and told me that it was the best quality made suits he has ever seen.


How tall are you?

A suit made for a NBA star?

I hope it wasn't for Dennis Rodman...

 

[mmkn]

Originally Posted by lasbar

NBA star?

Wasn't mine. We were just talking about what suits he thought were the best made [this was the nineties]. He said that number 1 was Bijan, number 2 was Gucci [akin to Zegna made Tom Ford suits nowadays]. Have no idea where Bijan had his suits made in Italy, but it is top notch, inside and out. Styling, well, that is a personal and private matter.

Interesting the list of whom he dressed [from Wiki-everything, so sprinkle it with some salt] . . .

"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, 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."

Marketing indeed!

- M

 

[lasbar]

Wasn't mine. We were just talking about what suits he thought were the best made [this was the nineties]. He said that number 1 was Bijan, number 2 was Gucci [akin to Zegna made Tom Ford suits nowadays]. Have no idea where Bijan had his suits made in Italy, but it is top notch, inside and out. Styling, well, that is a personal and private matter.

Interesting the list of who he dressed [from Wiki-everything, so sprinkle it with some salt] . . .

"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, 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."

Marketing indeed!


Barely an endorsement if you ask me...

Most of them are sartorial freaks...

Reagan was a Huntsman customer too..

 

[dragon8]

RIP.

 

[SpooPoker]

Originally Posted by lasbar

Reagan was a Huntsman customer too..
Really? I didnt know that. Obviously not while he was PUSA, but before or after?

 

[mmkn]

Originally Posted by SpooPoker

PUSA

President Reagan, he was a great example of an Autumn man.

- M

 

[GoldenTribe]

Originally Posted by barims

I was only ever peripherally aware of him as a person, but his name and brand were always symbols of glamour in my mind. And I've never visited Los Angeles

Originally Posted by rach2jlc

Never bought anything of his (clothing wise), never had much reason even to consider it, but nevertheless I always liked that he added a sense of fun and glitz to men's dressing, which even at its highest end often lacks a sense of romance and takes itself FAR too seriously. Like his items or not, he seemed to love what he did, and seeing that store and the yellow Rolls was a lot more fun than a dusty old bespoke workshop with a roll of cloth in the front window.

Originally Posted by bjornb17

Bijan was the man
+999

RIP

 

[rnoldh]

RIP Bijan.

I knew of him since he was of my era. In no way was I a patron of his though.

As to his clothes. They were, famous, and had some nice touches like the 100% Bijan lining. But don't think they were of spectacular quality.

I am pretty sure that his suits and SCs were primarily made by D Avenza and Belvest ( and not to particularly higher standards than those companies main line stuff ). Very nice MTM or RTW but by no means a contender for the best, let alone anything justifying his extremely high prices.

His genius was in marketing. There are and were many that sell $2,500 Belvest suits. He had the Cajones to sell $15,00 Bijan/Belvest suits to Brand Whores. It is a business plan that has worked in other fields too.

He was a smart man and sort of a pioneer I think. Now there is Zilli, that Billionaire whatever brand, and others. But I think he was the first to sell stuff with the attitude, if you have to ask the price you cant afford it.

 

[Holdfast]

RIP. Always sad to hear of the death of an icon, and the niche Bijan carved out for himself is definitely iconic. Say what you like about him, the guy had pizzazz.

Originally Posted by AncientSoul

RIP... Looking forward to the world's most expensive casket in action.
I believe you'll need to ring ahead and book an appointment if you want to view him. (and before anyone says it's too soon for that, I really think that a man with his natural flair for marketing and sense of fun would appreciate the good-natured sentiment)