Closely associated with the world of rock and the bad boys that he venerates, he was very young when he was gripped by the dream of sporting a tattoo. As a young adolescent he covered his arms with transfers, driven by a method of identifying his idols, having admittedly been won over as much by their “rock n’roll attitude” as by the music that they produced.
Initially braked by his parents, then by the variability in his tastes, it was at the age of 50 that he finally fulfilled his wish, going under the distinguished needles of Chris Fernandez (Kings Avenue - NYC), during his honeymoon trip to New-York. He opted for the “old school” style and covered his forearm with a dagger, the handle of which is decorated by a pin-up wearing a Jean-Paul Gaultier corset. Charmed by the realisation of his long-held fantasy, he intends to continue the work begun in NYC, by entrusting the production of a full “sleeve” (manchette) to Kim-Ahn Nguyen, a Swiss tattooist of international renown exercising his art in NYC and in Eindhoven.
Although the art of tattooing is now widespread and today affects all ages and all social classes, he fully accepts the negative image and the rejection that can sometimes be generated by these drawings which is sometimes considered, wrongly, as being vulgar. In his opinion there are no vulgar things, only vulgar people.
As an aesthete, he idolises the contrast represented by the combination
Made legendary by the central place that it occupied in the film Bullitt (with Steve Mac Queen), the 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback V8 GT390 is Christophe’s preferred model.
Its racy curves, its musculature and the brutality of the cavernous sound of its V8 block is adored by those who idolise the "muscle cars" of the late ‘60s.
Tired of making do with lesser models, he nurtures the desire to sit at the wheel of a 1968 sports model and to make it is everyday vehicle.
While there are many who can display a detailed knowledge of French wines, there are many fewer who can claim this ability for Italian wines. Thus it was because he wished to stand out that he trained himself by opening some highly renowned bottles. He was rapidly won over by the power and mellowness of Amarone wines and the harmonious elegance of Brunello wines. Today he is continuing his apprenticeship under the clear guidance of Stefano Pichionni (Vinivins), abandoning momentarily the great labels in order to favour the excellently made vins de terroir. Even though he does regular tastings, he admits to not being a hotshot and considers himself more of wine lover than a specialist.
Christophe is a lover of good food and conviviality. He loves to spend time in a restaurant with his friends and professional acquaintances, considering that it is around a meal and a good glass of wine that one best gets to know the finer points of peoples personalities. Even though he adores restaurants, it’s not always at the table of the great chefs that he draws the greatest pleasure. His gastronomic impulses guide him more towards establishments offering simple, tasty and invigorating cuisine. Moreover, his meal fetish takes in the development of a plate of cheese made from unpasteurised milk accompanied by a variety of artisan breads and a well-chilled bottle of white wine. In 2006, this appetite for cheese led him to investigate the possibility of opening a chain of high-class “Cheese & Wine” establishments. The core of his idea was to develop cheese platters with sumptuous design, to be consumed on site or to take away. Although he had the support of several major investors, he abandoned the idea because of the personal difficulties that he was experiencing at that time.
Discovered thanks to a friend who was living there, he was quickly enamoured by the sunny climate and the incomparable quality of the Senegalese welcome. Initially housed in a residents comprising villas of standing, he explored the country thanks to the knowledge of an attentive and reliable taxi driver. Then later by means of a Land Cruiser HDJ 105 which he purchased there, he crossed the length and breadth of the country accompanied by his now friend, Moustafa Dieng. With very little equipment, but jointly motivated by the idea of living a true adventure, they crossed the Malian borders for a journey of 28 days which would see them patrol more than 6000 kms on laterite tracks. After having stayed there seven or eight times, the recomposition of his family and the young age of his last two children temporarily separated him from the country of the Teranga, not being able to find a project capable of reconciling the needs of each.
Fascinated by the story of a friend who ran his first marathon at the age of fifty, he adopted this whim. Determined to plagiarise the feat achieved by Dany Drion, he started his preparation with a serious rebalancing of his diet, which he accomplished under the guidance of the Liegeois dietician and nutritionist, Damien Pauquet. Two months later, having shed 10 kg of superfluous weight, he entered a re-athletisation programme under the attentive eye of a meticulous coach, Damien Naslain. Made rusty by years of physical inactivity, he started his preparation with small sections run at a very slow pace, followed by periods of walking and recovery. Several months later, with his weight continuing to improve, he made more serious outings (7 or 8 kms), always at low speed in order to work on his endurance. It was only at the end of 7 months training, due to 3 or 4 outings per week, that he completed his first half-marathon (21 kms) in 1 hour 47 minutes. More demanding work sessions were added to the basic endurance training, intended to improve his speed. In March 2017, he improved his half-marathon recording a respectable time of 1 hour 40 minutes. Eighteen months after his first trots, having shed 20 kilograms of pure fat and stimulated by a 12 week training programme, he arrived at the starting line of the Berlin Marathon, famous for its reputation of being the fastest in the world, and fulfilled his dream by completing it in a time of 3 hours 43 minutes.
See News “Berlin marathon completed in 3 hr 44 min and 40 sec”
It was in 1986, in the Dolhain salon of Pierre Proumen that he was moved by the long black skirt and high-heeled boots being worn by his hairdresser. Signed Jean-Paul Gaultier, these two masterpieces captivated him, both through the quality of the materials used as well as by the fabulous originality of the style. A striking contrast between motorcycle leather and ballerina dresses. His fascination for the young designer led him some time later to push open the door of his Parisian store. For the second time he was bowled over by seeing the breathtaking scenography of the place, the product of a perfect alliance between raw materials and the whiteness of feathers. It was there that he discovered the signpost creations of JPG: his perfume, his striped sweater and his bright red tartan kilts. At that point, Christophe was so inspired that he worshipped the art of the creator and bowed before such intellectual freedom, that allowed the enfant terrible of fashion to break the rules and burn the sacred cows. For the last 30 years, Christophe has worshipped his idol and considers him to be the Pope of creativity and absolute aestheticism.