From left: Jan, Martina, their dog Belinka who is shy but loves restaurants, and Terezka
OK, here we go! As announced in our previous post, we have left Prague for a month in the US (we write this from Brooklyn) and will be giving our social media to some awesome Prague locals who will share their "tastes of Prague" with our beloved readers.
First to go are Martina and Jan, the couple behind the Kurator shop. How we first met them really explains why we like them so much. You see, Kurator is a shop that displays curated monthly or longer exhibitions of fashion pieces and accessories by young local and foreign designers that follow a certain theme. And they always open a new exhibition with a small party in the shop. We were passing by and Zuzi, having followed Kurator on Facebook, was aware that they had an exhibition opening party but was too shy to walk in because we did not have invitations. When Jan persuaded her to join, Martina and Jan immediately won us over: they told us what Kurator was all about, explained the theme of the exhibition, showed us the room and the pieces, and - most importantly - touched our soft spots: they gave us wine and food. Game over. We fell in love.
What we love about them is the passion with which they do what they do. They really put everything into their shop, and love the designers they show at Kurator. The designers clearly love them back. They sell pieces that are smart, beautiful and made using the finest materials only. Also, they are all about customer service: if you like a piece but they don't have the size you need or the color you might like, they will usually make things happen and you'll get a piece custom made by the designer just for you. We simply like them because we share so many things with them.
Now, Martina takes everything she does very seriously and she has been stressing over the week of their posting for the past few days, even canceling a planned trip. Therefore, we expect a blizzard of posts and lots of opinionated tips. Martina and Jan will be aided by Terezka, a girl who can be often seen "behind the counter" at Kurator and who has become Martina's closest ally. If there ever was - or will be - a third "curator" of Kurator, it will be Terezka.
To get to know Kurator's owners and our first local couple to take over our social media better, we have asked them a few questions. Below are the answers. Stay tuned for Martina's, Jan's and Terezka's tips on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest profiles. And have a great week!
Why did you decide to move to Prague?
Martina: It was love. Instead of moving to a different large metropolis anywhere in the world, I moved to Prague after I graduated from college because that is where my then boyfriend lived. And I have stayed here ever since.
Jan: I've liked Prague since I was a child, and I moved here after college for work and my girlfriend, and it was a totally natural move for me.
What do you like about Prague?
Martina: I like how Prague pushes forward and breaths in a new breath of life with new businesses and the ventures of young, creative people. I like the Saturday walks to the farmers' markets. I love Kampa and the Lesser Town or the Petrin hill.
Jan: I like the energy the city has.
What you don't like about Prague?
Martina: Many things. I could go on and on.
Jan: The climate.
How would your friends describe you?
Martina: I had to ask my friends to answer this question. Everybody has a slightly different view of me, but those who know me the best have mentioned these qualities: very temperamental, demanding, stubborn and strong-headed, a woman who loves to cook and to eat, and I have allegedly a keen interest in many very strange or even non-traditional things and fields.
Jan: I don't know if all my friends would describe me that way, but kind, a bit stubborn and considerate.
And how would you describe yourself?
Martina: I think I am introverted, definitely demanding and sometimes very stubborn. As regards the cooking: sometimes when I go to sleep, I look forward to the meals I will have the next day. Jan sometimes jokingly calls me Miss Marple: a child that cannot resist to open all the drawers of a box you put in front of it. Even those you did not know existed.
Jan: I am introverted, sometimes enclosed in my own world.
What's your style when you travel?
Martina: Thanks to travel I have slowly began to realize that I am getting older. I never thought I could be happy put at one place for an entire week. I have always preferred adventurous travel: I spent nearly four weeks in Mongolian yurts or in a temporary shed in the middle of the jungle in Sri Lanka. And it was fantastic. Recently, I have began to prefer more comfortable modes of accommodation. I have retained my longing to discover new places but it has began to connect with my passions for food, design and beautiful things and experiences. My current idea of the perfect vacation is a combination of traveling along a preset route with me sleeping somewhere else every night and then staying in a beautiful spot for a week and just relaxing.
Jan: I like to see places that are alive thanks to the locals. Travel is first and foremost an inspiration to me.
What's been playing on your iPod recently?
Martina: Hugh Laurie, Ibrahim Maalouf or Sébastien Tellier.
Jan: Arcade Fire, Shabazz Palaces.
Your favorite guilty pleasure?
Martina: Angelato ice-cream.
Jan: Ice-cream.
Can you describe your ideal Sunday?
Martina: A lazy, sunny day. Peace and calm, music, good food. Sometimes I love to spend the entire day alone, sometimes I like the opportunity to have my dearest around me. Or a combination of both. And sometimes being lazy does not mean you don't move a finger.
Jan: Having a peaceful day from breakfast to dinner just the way I like it.