Mamma Milano
Mamma Milano:
Lessons from the Motherland
“Thriving in Italy requires a certain amount of surrender to the madness, letting go and trusting that all will be well, with lots of laughter, a loosened belly, and the willingness to play with life like the unpredictable, crazy, wonderful woman that she is. I was to learn that this buoyancy and heart-flexibility are attributes of the Divine Feminine.” - J.J. Martin, “Mamma Milano”
This is a different story about Italy. From her first tumultuous years navigating foreign frustrations and unusual inefficiencies, to her eventual surrender to Italy’s unique magic, this is an ode to the country that gave J.J.’s access to her deepest joy wells and invited her own signature creative star power. It’s the story of a personal shift - in perspective, priorities, partnerships, passions - a story chock-full of Italian lessons on how to lean into pleasure, be less transactional and more relational, throw out the itinerary and just go with the flow.
It’s also the story of a birth, of how leaning into abundance and cultivating true authentic connections the way only Italians can, helped J.J. launch a tiny company with a mighty mission that burst forth into the minimal Milan fashion scene with a maximalist cheer.
Perhaps most importantly, it’s a story about J.J.’s first spiritual teacher, Mamma Milano herself. A city and a country that opened up entire new dimensions and planes of consciousness for an American overachiever and, in turn, enabled her to create a global sisterhood of women devoted to helping one another feel like a bazillion bucks. And how you, too, can open up these energy joy portals….
Oh my God, you’re living my dream!
“When I landed in Milan in August 2001—having dropped my entire life in New York to follow my Italian boyfriend, Andrea, to his motherland—I stepped out into a pizza oven. The heat was causing the street signs to wob- ble and shimmer. My heels sank into the pavement with every step I took; yes, the Milanese sidewalks were liter- ally melting. Not a single restaurant was open. The fruit vendors had shuttered their tapparelle and hightailed it to the beach. Every Italian, from the freshly pressed little old ladies at the bus stops to the tuxedo-suited waiters at the cafés, was doing what they do best: vacationing.
My life in Italy did not start smoothly or gracefully”
You know the destination - a five-star fashion and homeware company celebrated the world over for it’s paradigm-shifting, mood-boosting maximalism. Now see how she got there. Our favourite part? You can pick your own power-printed cover! Arriving in three of our favourite patterns - Ananas, Mezzaluna, Colombo - ladoublej.com is the only outlet where you can decide which design you’ll be gifting (or getting!) this celebration season.