Artist Profile: Alan and Bê Bilzerian, Godparents of Contemporary Fashion

Resting on the east end of Newbury Street, surrounded by jewelry stores and fashion conglomerates, Alan Bilzerian, a four-story brownstone, transports passersby from the streets of Boston to a beautifully ornate storefront filled to the brim with some of the best garments and designers in the world. From London to Milan to Japan, clothes from designers like Wales Bonner, Carol Christian Poell, and Junya Watanabe furnish the floors of the building.

For the past 50 years, Alan and Bê Bilzerian have called the shots in the contemporary fashion world from behind the scenes. They are close friends with Yohji Yamamoto and went from meeting Rei Kawakubo over dinner to advising her to show her collection in Paris. They were also invited by the dean of Central Saint Martin, one of the premiere fashion schools in the world, to visit its campus.

Alan Bilzerian opened up his first shop in Worcester in 1967.

“It was called the Body Shop, and it basically sold American brands that were emerging in America, but also some ideas of used clothing that came from Europe. And it was successful from the day we opened up,” he said.

From the beginning, Alan Bilzerian was a go-to spot for customers who wanted only the finest crafted garments, lovers of the avant-garde, people who remain “in-the-know,” and others who found the store after being exhausted by the fashion options in Boston.

“Unless you’re hungry and you’re starving for fashion and you’ve got a pain in your stomach, you’ll find us maybe crawling down the street,” he said.

Since 1968, Bê and Alan Bilzerian have been on the cutting edge of the fashion scene.

“We had Issey [Miyake] in 1968, we had Prada when Miuccia Prada was selling me key chains. So I had started this whole thing where I did all the groundwork to meet the people who are now the stars,” Alan Bilzerian said.

But in 1979, things changed for the couple. Bê suggested to Alan that they move the store from Worcester, and that’s how they ended up in Boston on Newbury Street.

“So we opened in Number 12 in 1979 and it was incredible for us,” Bê Bilzerian said.

Around this time, Bê also noticed something emerging on the other side of the world.

“Everything was coming out of Japan, and everything was black. The TV was black, the stereo was black. The Walkman, everything was black, and I said, ‘Something is going on in Japan. Something is happening there,’” she said.

This “something” was the emergence of Rei Kawakubo of Commes des Garçon, Yohji Yamamoto of Yohji Yamamoto, and Issey Miyake of Issey Miyake. These three designers, who were little known at the time, would go on to become three highly influential brands over the past 50 years, influencing many designers to come. This new beginning for Alan and Bê Bilzerian turned into a lifelong friendship for them.

“Yohji decided to open a store in New York. And he asks, ‘Can you help me?’” Alan Bilzerian said.

The two of them went on to decorate and design the interior for the store, which was located at Grand and Mercer. This partnership evolved into Yohji asking them to open his store in London.

“It was never any money involved. It was just a friendship thing,” Bê Bilzerian said.

However, Alan and Bê Bilzerian’s eye for talent and design didn’t stop in Japan. They also bought Lee Alexander McQueen’s first collection before McQueen’s brand explosion and his eventual creative directorship at Givenchy. They purchased John Galliano’s graduate pieces long before he ended up at Givenchy, Dior, and Maison Margiela.

“You can see something is interesting, something is new, something has their own personality, their own identity. It’s like when you meet somebody and you look at the person, you immediately know that person looks interesting,” Bê Bilzerian said of identifying the promise of young designers.

For Alan and Bê Bilzerian, though, it’s about the quality of the garment, not how expensive it is, according to their daughter Lana Bilzerian, who is also a designer.

“If it’s good, it’s good, and if it fits their identity of what they want to say, then it’s in the store,” Lana Bilzerian said.

That approach is seen as you walk around the store. They have Rick Owens, Wales Bonner, and Raf Simons, but they also have Takahiromiyashita The Soloist, Atlantique Ascoli, and even Carol Christian Poell on their shelves — a feat only a few stores and stockists can lay claim to.

“We’ve been connected to Carol for 40 years,” Alan Bilzerian said. “It’s not out on shelves. You don’t have to be any kind of person, but you have to ask for Carol’s designs.”

Ultimately, the Bilzerians’ philosophy is about curiosity.

“We want the young generation to understand there’s something out there that’s so beautiful you haven't seen everything already in your life. You got to still keep your eyes open and your nose out of the sneaker. You have to be curious,” Alan Bilzerian said.

—Staff writer Christian A. Gines can be reached at christian.gines@thecrimson.com.