Today marks the release of J.J. Martin’s latest book, La DoubleJ Founder, which honors a life lived to the fullest, with all its whims and imperfections.
August 2001 saw J.J. Martin land in Milan after she decided to take a big gamble and relocate to her then-boyfriend Andrea’s nation. The Californian eschewed a life of hustle and grind in New York City for a luxurious position as marketing director at Calvin Klein. Since then, Martin has made a name for herself as an American fashion expert who discovered Italian style by mistake. She has embraced “la dolce vita” and created a company that revolves around the carefree, whimsical style.
Following several years working as a Milan-based fashion writer for Fashion Wire Daily, then the International Herald Tribune and Harper’s Bazaar, Martin debuted her ready-to-wear line, La DoubleJ, in 2015. The collection features easy shapes and striking designs that reflect the past. Since then, she has expanded the company tremendously, establishing a store in Milan, launching a homewares brand, and expanding her selection of clothing to include coats and accessories. Martin may now formally refer to herself as a writer as well because her most recent book, Mamma Milano, is available for purchase online.
The book is a devotional letter to Milan in particular and to Italy. She thinks that the vital feminine energy of the city has led her on her path since arriving there 22 years ago, thus the moniker Mamma Milano. When Martin was initially asked to write a book on style and entertainment, she stated that her goal was to seem authentic and valuable, like a guide or inspiration for people’s daily lives. I intended to tell my experience, demonstrate to people that this nation was sometimes more idealized than perceived, and discuss our ascent to success with La DoubleJ.
Martin does highlight difficult, depressing, and existentially crises, yet she always has an optimistic outlook and a sense of hope derived from having experienced enormous transformation. Particularly these days, social media presents our lives in a polished and romantic manner. I felt we needed to be very real and honest, and it wasn’t all a dolce vita cliché,” the woman exclaimed.”I believe it’s crucial to give people a glimpse behind the scenes so they may comprehend the history behind any degree of success attained since there are undoubtedly many obstacles, mayhem, and foolish, angry, depressing times along the route. All of the stuff is mixed in the book.”
Although the book has a generally upbeat tone, Martin’s true talent lies in her ability to be ultimately herself and unabashedly herself. She is charming, irreverent, motivated, authentic, and creative at all times. With this book, she aims to encourage others to create something, whether it be physical or not, and to do it for themselves and themselves alone. She sincerely hoped that her words would inspire readers to set out on their creative journeys, to have the guts to face and welcome every challenge and darkness in their lives, and to create their works of art, no matter how big or small, by drawing from their inner sources of inspiration.
Martin acknowledges that Mamma Milano offers a wealth of inspiration and teachings, making it difficult to decide which is most significant to her. However, in her written words, she articulates, “The most significant revelation I’ve garnered is that every event, whether favorable, adverse, exasperating, or extraordinary, contributes to my overarching betterment and expansion.” There are lessons to be gained from everything.
Here are five poignant lessons from Martin that we may all benefit from, both now and in the future, taken from the lovely Mamma Milano.
Family and intimate ties are the most essential things in Italy. As one saying goes, “Things happen not because you pay more or ask for it nicely (or get pushy and demand it).” They arise from the fact that you converse, listen, share, and show appreciation for the work of others, and everyone returns home content and in better shape than when they first arrived.
The secret sauce of life is spontaneity: “I’ve now taken the side of the Italians.” Planning too much may kill the joy of the moment; you miss life’s enigmatic sauce, which, if you’re open to it, wants to swirl around you and whisk you away to unanticipated delight.
Unwind—it’s not a huge issue! Italians value individual liberty highly. You have a choice in what you do (within appropriate bounds). They don’t strive to put you in your place or feel the need for vengeance or punishment. Italians are forgiving of others and, most of all, of themselves. This keeps the heart open so that everyone may eat a dish of spaghetti together suitably.
Play to the fullest: Americans, who adamantly maintain the notion that “no pain, no gain,” are unfamiliar with the advantages of play. The Italians value living life to the fullest considerably more than trying to turn it into a job or wealth. Play is a lubricant, a relaxation, and it puts you in a receptive condition where you may communicate to the world that you want to enjoy life and flow with it.
Emote Without Limits: “Italians have excellent heart flexibility. I started to question why I couldn’t communicate the same level of emotion or fast get over it. I was criticizing myself for feeling anything at all. If you approach it in an Italian way, you let the emotion explode out of you without holding back or being conscious of yourself. This lesson allowed feelings to flow and explode instead of constricting or holding on. What if everyone on the planet recovered and found peace at this rate as well?