PROFILE:

Name: Marin Montagut
Profession: designer and store owner
Lives in: Paris
Web: marinmontagut.com

You grew up in Toulouse and came to Paris in 2004 when you were 19. What made you decide to move here?
It was practically love at first sight. I knew right away that I would build my future here. Paris is incredibly inspiring; it's like living in a postcard.

Paris, Paris, mon amour: designer Montagut loves every corner of his adopted city. © Unsplash

Do you have a favourite place in the city?
Without a doubt, the area around the Jardin du Luxembourg, which is also where I opened my first store. It looks like a small provincial village, with regional stores and the Luxembourg Garden. This is also where I get most of the ideas for my creations.

Away from the well-known sights, where would you go with a visiting friend?
I would take him to the amusement park at the Tuileries to ride the Ferris wheel - the view is spectacular. Afterwards, we'd go for a spin on my Vespa and enjoy a picnic in the Jardin du Luxembourg; in the evening, we'd go for drinks at the Bar Lounge 1908.

Magnificent nature The Jardin du Luxembourg in the sixth arrondissement is the favorite place of many Parisians. © Mauritius Images

Where can one usually meet you in the evening?
I'm usually at one of my two favorite bars, La Cave à Michel and Bar Lounge 1908, or dancing at the Pavillon Puebla in the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont.

How do you spend your weekends in Paris in the spring?
Mostly on my Vespa or at the Saint-Ouen flea market on the hunt for treasures. Afterwards, I treat myself to the best ice cream at Berthillon on Île Saint-Louis.

More about the city of love: A Weekend in ... Paris!

Text: Michaela Hessenberger, Philipp Rossmann and Heidi Rietsch