POWER HAIRSTYLIST
CRISTOPHE
* Age: 36 * A few of his clients: Tom and Roseanne Arnold, Dustin Hoffman, Barry Levinson, Rosanna Arquette, the Clintons * How he got there: At 13, he'd had it with school. "There was an apprentice job working for a plumber, a mechanic, or a hairdresser," Belgian-born Cristophe says. He chose the latter because "you get to be surrounded by beautiful women—and get paid for it." * Why he's powerful: Because in his Beverly Hills salon, his clients really let their hair down. * Power prattle: "It's not heart surgery," he says, "but working with hair is like sculpture." Still, this beauty-buff-to-the-stars is no glamourpuss: "Anyone who can endure the trauma of getting a haircut"—and of shelling out $250—"can get an appointment to see me."

POWER FLORIST
C.J. MATSUMOTO
* Age: 41 * A few of his clients: Columbia, Paramount, Warner Bros. * How he got there: "I graduated from law school 17 years ago, but floristry was the family business of my ex-wife." * Why he's powerful:The Beverly Hills florist is among the first to know when someone gets promoted, lucky in love, or sick (he once sent flowers in a bedpan). * Power prattle: Most of his clients (with the exception of the man who ordered a $1,200 bouquet) "call and say, 'Let's keep it simple—send six dozen roses,'" Matsumoto laughs. But he's not naming the unimaginative ones: "You become an insider, but you never divulge," he says. "I treasure my relationships with my clients." For the most discreet, Matsumoto even offers to pick up a sealed card from the sender's office.

Originally posted Oct 22, 1993 Published in issue #193 Oct 22, 1993 Order article reprints
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