"I believe in obsessions," warns James Goldstein, the enigmatic longhaired billionaire in anaconda boots and a Stetson hat, made-to-measure by Lord's of Los Angeles. Fashion is one of them. Jim, as he naturally prefers to be called, is invariably seated in the front row of the fashion shows in Milan and Paris (where he always stays at the Hotel des Beaux Arts). He likes to call himself "the XXIst century's first dandy." One of his friends even compares him to Salvador Dali. He is as coy about how he made his fortune (Century City on LA's Santa Monica Boulevard) as he is about his age. He drives a 1961 Rolls convertible and wears leather jeans. Architecture, fashion and baseball: such is the holy trinity in Goldstein s credo. He doesn't hesitate to strike a pose in the studio (check out his website www.jamesfgoldstein.com) or in real life in front of his dramatic 4,1000 square foot house overlooking Beverly Hills. Known in the US as the "eccentric NBA superfan", Goldstein spends US$150,000 on the sport and attends around 100 games a year. He wouldn't miss a Lakers game for all the tea in China.

Jim is passionate about fashion and he has made his home into a perfect showcase. Some of the more memorable shoots that have been staged here include those with Philip-Lorca DiCorcia, Helmut Newton, Thierry Mugler, Peter Lindbergh and Herb Ritts. Built by John Lautner, a disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright, the Sheats-Goldstein residence was completed in 1963. Clinging to a precipitous drop, the house deploys a complex geometry of triangles and wedge shapes with abundant use of wood and glass. The view is everywhere: 180 degrees panoramic over the city from the master bedroom. In this house it is possible to live outdoors inside. "John [Lautner] always liked to create a sense of danger in his houses," explains Goldstein. Since the death of the architect in 1995, Lautner's personal assistant has taken over to supervise on-going work on the house. "In 20 years not a day has gone by without workmen here," he says. Commissioned from artist James Turrell "the observatory" or meditation room, is one of his favourite places. The retractable roof which opens up to the starry California sky was brought and installed by helicopter. It took almost ten years to complete.

Goldstein has still got his work cut out for him, at least for the next decade since he plans to build a restaurant and a discotheque below the house as a place to entertain his friends. The garden is also heading for an overhaul. It is to become a tropical Eden to contrast with the geometrical severity of the house. Since his arrival in 1972 Goldstein has bought surrounding land, more than doubling the surface area of the garden. He has commissioned Santa Barbara landscape designer Eric Nagelmann to oversee plans which include planting pines, palm trees, eucalyptus, bamboo, philodendrons, hibiscus, bougainvillea and hundreds of specimens from South America, Africa, Asia or Australia. Nagelmann has been hunting down rare and wonderful plants and has planted 25 different kinds of banana tree, of which Goldstein is particularly proud. This incredibly elaborate and carefully manicured jungle is watered and fertilized by a sophisticated irrigation system. Dotted along the winding paths and stone steps are sculptures left there by the previous owners and installations such as a concrete creation by Guy Dill. Goldstein is thinking of adding to the collection with pieces by Bernard Vernet or Richard Serra. He is also thinking of setting up a foundation to preserve his home, garden and... his fashion collection.

Goldstein admits he "fell into fashion" as a child. His father owned a department store in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and taught him all there is to know about the three-piece suit. He promptly forgot all the rules when he got to Los Angeles in 1962. He studied at Stanford and then indulged in every possible excess, fad and trend before deciding once and for all that he would use his appearance to express his individuality. Today it's cotton pants and shirt by Roberto Cavalli, a tailor-made jacket by Fendi and his signature bandana around his neck. His giant closet is equipped with automatic rails and in it he lovingly hangs each piece like a trophy. "I have quite a lot of unique pieces," he says, "I regularly buy pieces from the shows because I am model size." His great masters in the 1980s were Claude Montana and Jean Paul Gaultier, who was the first to provide the extravagance he was looking for. He moved on to Dolce & Gabbana, Missoni and Fendi and is now a total convert to Roberto Cavalli though he can't wait for John Galliano's new line in men's ready-to-wear. "Why shouldn't men have to right to have fun like women and dress the way they want to?" he asks. "I buy everything I like." Money being no object, he purchases a dozen outfits every season on average, but sometimes many more. He makes his selection from fashion show videos, portfolios and personal attention from shop-owners or his favourite designers. "I sometimes have to go to several people to get a complete outfit my size," he explains.

"I never wear last season's outfit," he says, though some items become year-round favourites like Cavalli's sequin studded jacket from the summer 2003 collection. "It's nearly a work of art, don't you think?" Regarding colour, it's often turquoise, matching advantageously with the colour of his eyes. He plays tennis every morning to keep fit. At home he keeps mementos of his own life, photographs and portraits of himself, with the great and good: Meg Ryan, George Clooney, or in a dance with Jayne Mansfield with whom he admits he had a "little" romance. Plenty of material here for the autobiography some of his friends are encouraging him to write. But Goldstein is not interested in the past: "What is the point since you can't change anything? I prefer to look forward," he declares. Night is falling over Benedict Canyon. Some 750 spot lights glitter from the ceiling. Citizen Jim is settling down comfortably to watch a game on his giant screen.

CATHERINE DEYDIER