Josef Arzili, the designer behind Azaara, is of Persian and Turkish descent. Arzili studied design at the Fashion Institute of Hamburg, Germany. He relocated to the United States and began working at former world renowned fashion emporium Bullocks Wilshire, as an assistant buyer. His passion to actually design was never lost and in 1979, he created the house of Arzili Couture. This special high end collection was carried in stores such as Neiman Marcus and Lillie Rubin.
While traveling to exotic countries throughout the world, Arzili drew inspiration for his jewelry collection, which is as rich in color as it is in culture and history. In the fall of 2001, he created his first line of jewelry, the Vintage Crystal Collection, made from sterling silver, copper, and accented with hand cut crystal. The collection emulates rich, luxurious and opulent estate jewelry that rivals those worn by royalty!
Arzili soon followed the Crystal Collection with his signature Filigree Collection. Made from sterling silver, each piece is meticulously hand-dipped in 22k gold and accented with precious and semi-precious stones. The company Azaara was born from these two collections and soon grew to produce several other lines, including Arzili’s Byzantine Collection, Hot Rocks Collection, Porcelain, Nature and Enamel Collections, and most recently, his amazing Delicate Collection and Paris Collections. Azaara has grown to become a huge success and developed a very distinctive fan base with dignitaries and celebrities such as Becki Newton, Jessica Simpson, Patti LaBelle, Jodi Foster, Salma Hayek, and the majority of finalists in the most recent American Idol contest.
In 2006, Arzili opened the spectacular Azaara Boutique on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles, which has its own following of clientele and celebrities. Azaara has graced the pages of top magazines including InStyle, Town& Country, Cosmopolitan, Oprah, Marie Claire, House and Garden, Glamour, Lucky and Essence.