Fresh powder
Marnes Bleues, Sobremesa, Saint-Germain-des-Prés real estate, La Maison du Mochi, new Latin Quarter hotel, MORE
WORK • Friday Routine
Bespoke approach
MINH TA • product designer, conceptor-creator, co-founder • Atelier Craft
Neighborhood you live and work in: Aubervilliers
It’s Friday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
Right now, we’re working on an exciting project with Tapisserie, the bakery owned by Septime. We’re collaborating with them on their galette des rois, launching this month. We worked on the trinket itself. There will be prizes to win, and probably one of our objects involved as well. It’s a project close to our hearts: They’re close friends, we get along incredibly well, and we share the same philosophy around lifestyle, materials, and social values. It’s also a project that speaks about France, and about a very French tradition of celebration.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
This week we went to Sobremesa, a place in the 18th where I spend a lot of time. They regularly host chefs in residence, and right now there’s a chef there named Shan Rachel, who has become a close friend. She’s staying for four months. Her cuisine is refined Chinese food, reinterpretations of classic dishes. She trained at Ferrandi, so her approach is more elegant, very precise while staying deeply rooted in tradition.
What I really love about Sobremesa is how warm, human, and inclusive the place feels. There’s a closeness with the chefs that’s rare. I love being able to talk, to watch, to understand what’s happening — and there aren’t many places where that’s possible, where chefs are open to that kind of exposure. The space is small too, which makes it a real challenge for the chefs. That’s exciting to witness.
How about a little leisure or culture this weekend?
My go-to weekend ritual is the Saint-Ouen flea market. I’m a big collector and obsessive treasure hunter, so I go almost every weekend. It’s a way to recharge culturally, seeing objects you don’t usually encounter, finding clothes or items with a story, catching up with friends. And when food is involved, I often eat at Bonne Aventure, which is pretty much the only wine bar and restaurant at the flea market with a strong ethical approach.
What Paris store or service do you always recommend?
There’s one service I always recommend: Levi’s Lot No. 1. It exists in Paris, New York, and Tokyo, and it’s an exceptional experience. You can have a made-to-measure pair of jeans crafted by Levi’s, using the finest Japanese denim. You choose every detail, it’s tailored exactly to your body, and it comes with a lifetime guarantee.
It’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, especially because it’s not a suit, but an everyday garment. We even made jeans for the studio: they’re our workwear, incredibly durable fabrics that we wear daily. I think this type of service pays tribute to 1930s-40s tailoring, something we’ve almost completely lost in everyday clothing.
The jeans cost around €600, but they’re guaranteed for life. If your body changes, they adjust them. They keep your pattern forever, which is especially valuable for women, whose bodies are harder to standardize. The experience itself is beautiful too: the space is a private mansion in the Marais. It’s a true premium service.
Photo: Arnaud Wolff
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BARS & RESTAURANTS • First Person
Bleues era
At Marnes Bleues in the 19th arrondissement, they’ve stripped the space back to its essentials: raw concrete, bespoke woodwork, and the 1960s-era terrazzo tiles that give the bar its name. A sublime, rotating display window opens the bar to the park and pivots into an oyster counter in the evening.