Originality, self-authenticity and endless imagination are trademarks that are impossible to showcase merely in the digital world, especially for someone who has been living as an influencer for a long time. Each day, Marta Cygan builds her digital platform with fine precision, showing off her most personal spaces. She picks the items in her wardrobe and the objects that surround her with such sophisticated eclecticism that makes everyone want to roam our world with openness to absorb all that is around us.
After moving to Paris from a small Polish town as a child, she spent a few years at La Sorbonne, where she decided that applied linguistics is her path to tread on. After spending a number of years travelling and a year in the tour bus of a friend's band, she founded Life of Boheme in Los Angeles, and she hasn’t looked back since. Instagram has become Marta’s full-time job. Although for a while now, she’s been living in Paris again, every destination that ever inspired her can be witnessed in her bold style from modern architecture to interior design, or the perfect harmony of mountains and the ocean.
What is the best and worst part about living in two countries?
You open your mind even more when you live in two countries, you also understand more. The best part is definitely learning how to adapt quickly to a new culture, to new roots, to a city and how to interact with local people. It's a beautiful life experience—you get to exchange ideas and your conversations and interactions are happening with many different people. I find this both interesting and nourishing. Growing up with a double culture, Polish and French helps me understand interactions between West and East/Central Europe, for example.
The worst part, especially when I was a teenager, is that it made me feel “not from here” but from everywhere. Today, as an adult I see it as my superpower because I feel fully Polish and fully French, I'm stronger than someone who has just one culture, and I'm a proud European.
What’s your favourite way to spend the morning?
First, coffee in bed checking news and socials, second, coffee outside walking my dog.
I don’t really talk in the mornings, I need some space and to be by myself before the day starts. My favourite way to start the day is a walk in nature. In Paris, I often go to Le Bois de Vincennes (Rte de la Pyramide, 75012 Paris, France) to walk my dog.
What is the one thing you always keep with you when travelling?
My dog Kora. I adopted her 7 years ago from my grandparents' village in Poland.
How does your Polish heritage influence your style?
My style is quite eclectic, and I deeply believe my Polish roots are to thank for this.
I always thought the Polish Art scene is more innovative because the artists have specific knowledge from the past and the present, and their purpose is to make impactful art for the future. I would say I “build” my style in a similar way. I don’t follow any specific trends, and I don't follow rules either—my style runs free. I always dress to feel confident, and I definitely can’t be described as only Parisienne Chic because I take some risks with styling and it’s this trait of mine that’s been influenced by my Polish roots.
What’s your favourite fast food and where do you get it?
Baby Love Burger in Paris (63 Rue Saint-Maur, 75011 Paris, France). I'm telling you it’s divine, juicy, and delicious.
What’s the first thing you do when you go to a new city?
I check out the restaurants and cafés, I like to discover where the locals eat and go out.
My next step is visiting galleries to discover local artists, and museums of course, as well as concert venues. When travelling, I prefer to stay in apartments rather than hotels. The experience is less touristy and you can live like a local for a few days. I also love going to farmers markets in every city I visit.
What is the one recommendation you give to anyone visiting Paris?
Get lost in Paris—follow the beautiful streets you will find your own spot with a café and you’ll just sit there and people-watch and observe the city’s atmosphere. Parisian people take their time to enjoy these kinds of moments so it’s definitely something you should do rather than going to every single tourist spot.
…and Warsaw?
My favourite thing to do in Warsaw is to go for a walk in Łazienki. It's a giant park in the city centre, the Polish Central Park.
For tasting good food in Warsaw I’d recommend Joel Sharing Concept (Koszykowa 1, 00-564 Warszawa, Poland), MOD Restaurant (Oleandrów 8, 00-629 Warszawa, Poland) and Charlotte Bistro (aleja Wyzwolenia 18/2U, 00-570 Warszawa, Poland).
What's the best piece of beauty advice you've ever received?
The advice I got from my aunt in Poland last summer. She’s 67 and has never bought a cream in her life—her bathroom is practically empty. There’s just one soap, one shampoo and one toothpaste, but her skin is truly radiant, no wrinkles…the perfect cheeks… So I asked her, what’s your secret? She told me she’s never ever washed her face with hot water. Cold water only is the way to go.
Dinner parties or after parties?
Dinner parties, as they are more intimate and I love food. I also do a lot of dinner parties at my place—I love cooking for guests.
What is your favourite part of your home?
Where the flowers are.
Listen to Marta's playlist compiled for us on Spotify, and continue reading the interview in the latest issue of Hype&Hyper magazine.
Continue reading in H&H issue no. 6!
ORDER HERE!
Telegraph in the 21st century
Dozens of new brands came to Czechia in 2022
