Obit Beat: Goodbye, Mr. Luxe

Bijan Pakzad, owner of the Bijan boutique, which described itself as the"most expensive store in the world" in Beverly Hills, died last Saturday, April 16, 2011. Bijan's extravagant advertising and merchandising became synonymous with the glitzy rise of Rodeo Drive in the 70's. Mr. Pakzad brought unapologetic opulence back into style, selling everything from diamond encrusted charm bracelets for infants to $1,000 suits. Stores like Bijan and Giorgio Beverly Hills challenged the then prevalent egalitarian attitude of Los Angeles in the early 80s. Westside matrons were scandalized to learn that visitors needed an appointment to shop at Mr. Pakzad's boutique. Judith Krantz captured those heady times in her first novel, Scruples. If Bijan Pakzad hadn't existed, Judith Krantz would have had to invent him.