Bijan (designer)

Upon immigrating to the United States in 1973, Bijan settled in Los Angeles and established his exclusive boutique on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills in 1976.

He had initially purchased a parking lot that he turned into a building store, and was confident his business in L.A. would take off because "I saw brilliant men earning $100,000 a year dressed in the most ridiculous clothes".

He owned a textile factory in Italy, where he manufactured his custom-made clothing[8][9] In 1989, the Bijan NY store was hit by the 2-year, $50-million renovation of the adjacent St. Regis Hotel, and launched litigation against its then-owner, Sheraton.

[10] In 2000, Bijan generated controversy when he published advertisements featuring a nude "rotund model named Bella",[11] which were rejected by many New York magazines before being accepted by Tina Brown's Talk.

[13][14] According to the 2001 Los Angeles Times Calendar Section, the Bijan Perfume and Fashion Business has brought in an estimated $3.2 billion in sales worldwide.

[15] In November 1997, two executives of Bijan were robbed of $3 million worth of jewelry in London in a very elaborate heist.

[16] On April 14, 2011, Bijan suffered a stroke and was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

[3] 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.

[citation needed] Among his clients, Bijan claimed to count five U.S. presidents – both George H. W. Bush and his son, Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton – as well as politicians such as Tony Blair, Vladimir Putin, Najib Razak, Nechirvan Barzani, Farah Pahlavi and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.