Former fashion journalist turned Milan-based designer, J.J. Martin is always on the go. The founder and creative director of La DoubleJ does it all. She’s a dog mom, she’s an entrepreneur and she keeps our spirits lifted with her spiritual advice and news via her Instagram. She’s just finished renovating her studio in Milan and she gives us a sneak peak of her space where it all comes together. Get to know the fabulous trailblazer as she discusses life in Milan, inspiration, how she gets it all done, and what is next for her and her iconic clothing, accessories and home brand.
What motivated your move from NY to Milan? What are the two differences between the two cities that stand out the most to you?
I moved for the biggest cliché in the world, which is I fell in love with an Italian. That’s why every woman was moving to Milan before 2010. As a New Yorker, I was used to having everything at my fingertips, the best restaurants, the coolest theatre, clubs, bars – it was go, go, go, do, do, do. I got to Milan and found myself standing in the line at the post office several times a week. It was frustrating, but then I finally relaxed and fell into the flow and beauty of Italy. The biggest difference is humanity. There’s a lack of respect for well being in New York – you are there to perform and achieve and are pushed by ambition to make something of yourself. The pace in Italy is much more humane. Milan is the fastest out of all the Italian cities and still it’s slow. I love the Italian’s insistence on enjoying themselves based on pleasure rather than pursuit.
What is your daily routine?
I wake up and meditate, do my invocations and my prayers, then feed the dog and take her to the park, which gets me into nature first thing. Doing this intention-setting is really instrumental for me. After my dog walk I might do yoga or pilates, then ideally I like to dedicate the morning to my spiritual writing, but it doesn’t always happen. Whether I am in the office or in lockdown at home, I start meeting after meeting with my different teams. I don’t usually eat lunch at a restaurant, I like to make my own lunch of vegetables and brown rice. At 3.30pm every day I do another meditation for 10 minutes, to break up the day. More meetings in the afternoon, and then I like to get some sort of exercise. In the evening I love to entertain at home and host my friends for aperitivo or dinner.
Which are your favorite spots in Milan?
You’ll always find me rummaging through the Naviglio market on the last weekend of the month or vintage shops like Madame Pauline and Cavalli e Nastri (I go to the one on Via Gian Giacomo Mora with the menswear and home store across the street) . For a traditional, low-key Italian meal served by a true Italian nonna (her husband cooks out back) I turn to the Latteria San Marco; for a really fun place to go for drinks and dinner, it’s the LùBar (check out the PAC space of art across the courtyard while you are there). The Porta Nuova district is the place to bring a dog and see how Milan has developed, overseen by my best friend in the world, Kelly Russel, a pioneer of green spaces and sustainability in Milan. I ran a socially distanced outside pranayama class with my yoga instructor, Marco Migliavacca there. DD by Davide Diodovich is where I unwind while having my hair done or getting a facial and skin rejuvenation with Andre, an old-school French guy. Dimore Studio and Six Gallery are the best design galleries in Milan and both of the owners are dear friends
How did you become involved in design and fashion?
When I was younger I was obsessed with fashion but no-one in my family was fashionable. I always dreamed of it and I never thought it would happen. I ended up getting a job in advertising in San Francisco, which was the most creative job you could get in San Francisco, then I moved to New York with an advertising agency. They won the Tommy Hilfiger account and I got to work on it and all the fashion shoots that came along with it. After that I worked in marketing at Calvin Klein, and then I became a journalist. So I did all the jobs – advertising, marketing, journalism – before I launched my own company.
What inspires your patterns and products?
The heart. I get really excited, my heart starts thumping, I get a buzz of energy and I know we have to do whatever it is I am looking at. It’s an internal oven that turns on. Most recently, I was inspired by Miki Von Bartha’s collection of antique Transylvanian ceramics and textiles in Basel, with whom we collaborated on our Resort 2021 ready-to-wear and homeware. I love print, I love patterns, I love color, I love joy.
Who are you designing for when creating a new collection?
Myself and women I love of all ages.
What other designers inspire you?
1970’s era Yves Saint Laurent and Oscar De La Renta because they both had this incredible blend of romanticism, femininity and glamour, as well as optimism and joy with their colors and prints. That’s a hard combination!
What does Made in Italy mean to you?
We are 100 per cent made in Italy, so, number one, it is the backbone of my company. It’s a guarantee of quality, craftsmanship, passion and good values, as workers are treated well. For me it also means giving back to this wonderful country that has given me so much.
Which is your favorite place to visit design-wise?
I go crazy in 18th and 19th Century mountain or island homes. For example the interiors of the 19th Century homes in Patmos are incredible, as are the old mountain chalets and palazzos of Engadina. I love a painted dome ceiling, I’m not going to lie. The Duomo in Florence is out of this world, right? Plus the Basilica of Sant’Eustorgio in Milan with its rainbow cappella painted by Lombard craftsmen,- and the Byzantine churches in Ravenna.
How much time do you spend in your studio?
Half the time, all the time – it depends. Actually my best work is done outside of the studio. I get distracted by logistics.
All of your collections are so lively and vivid! Which is your favorite color and which is your favorite collection?
The Transylvania Resort 2021 collection with Gallery Von Bartha, and our collaboration with the artist Claire Johnson for Fall/Winter 2020. Those were both such wonderful collaborations and really brought in amazing work. The starting point for each was so pure and exciting and came from original artworks. Green is my favorite color – the color of the heart chakra.
Who does LaDoubleJ want to collaborate with?
An athletic company could be nice. I would love to do a yoga or running line.
Which women inspire you?
My spiritual circle of friends, who don’t work in fashion and are working on their insides not their outsides.
We absolutely love your tableware, if you could throw one big dinner party, who would you invite and what would you cook?
I would throw a dinner party for all the spiritual sages that are deceased that I love and are inspiring to me. Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, Isis from Ancient Egypt, Kuan Yin, the Buddha, I think we’ll take Jesus and the archangel Michael, Metatron, and my star family. Wouldn’t that be a great group? We would have brown rice and vegetables and cheese – I really like cheese.
What is next for La DoubleJ?
Our Transylvania home collection of printed dessert and dinner plates inspired by these ancient Transylvania prints and embroideries I found in Miki Von Bartha’s collection. We also worked together with the Swiss/Egyptian Von Bartha artist Karim Noureldin on a set of placemats, which are made using weaving techniques Karim uses in his own work (like artwork for your table!).
We love Karim’s bright and bold work so much that we commissioned him to turn LDJ HQ into our very own site specific artwork to house our Spring Summer 2021 collection.
Our fall/winter padded jackets are a first for us, we’ve made ours reversible, and we also have new Medici-inspired jewelry to add to your collection.
Shop all La DoubleJ
A very special thank you to J.J. Martin.
