Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Bill Clinton wear LA tailor Amirs suits. Guy Adams meets a lover of luxury with friends in high places 2009 article: The tie is light blue, with a tiny white pattern. It was woven from the finest, thickest Italian silk. In my hands, it feels as soft as butter. Around my neck, it looks effortlessly plutocratic. There is no price tag, but when Amir breaks the air-conditioned silence to announce what this strip of material sells for, I let out a stunned gasp: it costs $650. The issue is very simple, he explains, without a hint of irony. If someone has to ask the price of something, that means theyre not my client. It would be like going to a Bentley dealer and asking many miles the cars do per gallon. Sure, the Amir tie is probably the most expensive tie in the world. But youre not just buying a tie: youre buying an experience. This brand of ruthless extravagance is, essentially, the prevailing philosophy at Amir Fashions, an extortionate yet extraordinary store at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, which has for more than 30 years been the nec plus ultra of shopping destinations for the worlds kings, style icons, Hollywood stars and political leaders. Here, against a backdrop of marble floors, gold leaf furniture, and piped Elvis Presley music, is where Cary Grant (a giant of a man) was measured up for dinner jackets, and a generation of his successors – George Clooney, Michael Douglas, Brad Pitt – still swing by to be kitted out in stylish formal wear. Amir has dressed no fewer than four US presidents: Reagan, Bush Snr, Clinton, and Obama. The Sultan of Brunei is a fan of his silk pocket handkerchiefs. Gianni Versace used to pop round to admire his fabrics. All told, hes one of the most influential designers youve probably never heard of. Hes also reassuringly discreet. This is his first ever newspaper interview. Pearls are priceless, he says, shaking my hand. But only when you bring them out of the ocean and polish them do they have value. I do the same to men of power: I polish them. Amirs clothes have provided a backdrop to modern history. Bill Clinton wore his tie during impeachment hearings; Reagan and Gorbachev lifted the Iron Curtain in his suits. Senator George Mitchell, architect of the Good Friday peace agreements, shook hands with David Trimble, Gerry Adams, and Tony Blair in his lounge suits. independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/designer-for-the-stars-1761711.html
Posted on: Thu, 06 Mar 2014 19:59:24 +0000
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