Flaxen-bobbed illustrator and fashion darling Jenny Walton lived in New York for almost two decades before she felt the itch. Next thing she knew, she packed up her dogs, collection of couture, and moved to Milan. It’s a city she had visited before as a well-heeled traveler, but now as a local she’s leaning into the dolce vita of it all.
“I find myself wearing lipstick and heels a little bit more when I’m in Italy,” she says. “There is something romantic at the base of Italian style.”
Of course, there’s also the city’s legendary population of sciura to inspire, too. Walton cites them as a big influence on her current look. “Their exactness, in terms of putting together a look, is inspiring. I put more effort into my look here, getting my hair done more regularly, things like that.”
You can see it all reflected in the sharpness of Walton’s red lipstick, the the curves of her updos (so artful!), and the overall preciseness in which Walton styles herself. Now, some time her belt in Milano, Walton tells us all the wonderful beauty places she’s discovered.
La Porta Blu
“There are two great stores for hair accessories in my opinion (besides from Gioielleria Pennisi, where starting this week you can find the hairpins that I designed). The first is La Porta Blu, it has gorgeous hair accessories, and second is Mazzolari, where I buy a lot of my headbands.” La Porta Blu, Largo Augusto, 3, 20122 Milano MI, Italy
Image Regenerative Clinic
“They do everything from facials, to botox, to surgeries here. I go once a month for a Hydrafacial with Paola, who is fantastic and not only gives you a foot massage during the facial, but is also teaching me Italian (and I help her with English). Between all of the coffee and wine, a Hydrafacial is always a good idea when in Italy.” Image Regenerative Clinic, Via Pietro Mascagni, 14, 20122 Milano MI, Italy
Armani Spa
“My favorite place for a massage is the spa at Armani Hotel. While the massage is lovely, I really love it because of the relaxation room afterwards. There’s a pool, saunas, and it’s just the most relaxing place. Plus you have great views of the city (usually spas are in the basement so it makes this one’s setting extra special).” Armani Spa, Via Alessandro Manzoni, 31, 20121 Milano MI, Italy
Dessange
“Lately I’ve been getting my hair cut and colored at Dessange. It’s not very expensive and the women there are all lovely, although they don’t really speak English, which adds a bit of a thrill to the whole experience. ‘Will they miss understand and shave off my hair?! Let’s see!’ It gives a do or ‘dye’ sense of urgency to improving my Italian skills because I find the idea of a shaved head quite motivating.” Dessange, Corso di Porta Vittoria, 32, 20122 Milano MI, Italy
Qc Termemilano
“Photographer Tommy Ton first brought me here years ago during the shows, when I was not yet living in Milan. Qc Terme so fun because there are all of these different spas inside and pools outside (there’s even an old tram in the garden that’s been converted into a sauna). The best is to be there during aperitivo time, when there is a mad rush to get the food and drinks, you’ve never seen so many people in bathrobes running around, it’s really funny.” Qc Termemilano, Piazzale Medaglie D’Oro, 2, 20135 Milano MI, Italy
