French Festival still on hiatus, but producer staying busy

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer

Image consultant Dean Christopher has worked with fashion houses such as Christian Dior, designer of a jacket worn here by model Sydney Fasi. Advertiser library photo • Oct. 1998

In the absence of the French Festival, what has happened to its producer, Dean Christopher? We caught up with him one day between workouts at the Honolulu Club and jaunts to Paris for the fall shows.

Christopher still calls himself a resident of Manoa, although he spends more time in Los Angeles, New York and Europe.

In recent years he has considerably expanded his role as an image consultant. While his focus in the past was on couture fashion and luxury goods product development, he has found a new niche in the luxury resort field.

As a quality controller for Montage Resort and Spa in Laguna Beach, Calif., Christopher stays as a guest and assesses every element of service and facilities. "Montage is all about quiet luxury and details, details, details that elevate the quality of your stay," he said. Among them, sheets with a thread count of 550 and down comforters with 11 lighter-than-air layers.

In addition, Christopher offers monthly seminars on "The Art of Etiquette." In essence, he is showing a staff of casual young Californians how to pamper guests who are spending a minimum of $600 a night. It's all about body and verbal language, manners, grooming and attitude. He teaches through use of role-playing and mini focus groups.

Still working with Chanel, Christopher looks at the collections and makes recommendations to the design team.

He also works with buyers for such retailers as Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman to shape the way Chanel designs will be presented in their stores.

For Cartier, he continues to design and produce special events, as he has done for nearly 10 years.

An added project earlier this year was "Africa on the Hudson River." For this project, his client was Travel & Leisure magazine. For their big annual client party he recreated an African village by building little huts out of driftwood and reeds on a pier on the Hudson River in New York. "It was about creating a set, an environment that conveyed a message," he explained.

When he's not working for one of his clients, Christopher is home in Manoa, creating his own personal works of mixed-media fine art.

Reach Paula Rath at 595-4904.