Most of us have, at one point or another, fantasized about leaving our old life behind and moving to Italy. Jenny Walton actually did it.

The designer, influencer, and fashion illustrator left New York for Milan in 2021. Shortly after, she ended a high-profile relationship and embraced her newfound independence, captivating her more than 375,000 Instagram followers with footage of vacations in absurdly charming small towns and afternoons spent walking her dogs while dressed in Prada. For the latest installment of our Art of Living Well column, we consulted Walton about the small pleasures she relies on and the big trends she sees coming down the pike. 

You are an American living in Milan. What do Italians understand about luxury that the rest of the world doesn't?

Italians understand true quality products and that buying something of high quality that will last is ultimately less expensive than buying something cheap multiple times. 

What trend from Milan Fashion Week has the most staying power?

I saw what I perceived as a certain return to simplicity at Prada in the beautiful flowing silk shift dresses and hair slicked back under the headbands. I loved that mixed with the strong leather jackets.  

What product do you use every day that instantly improves your mood?

My Sicilian coffee that I make every morning in my Alessi Moka. 

What is a splurge you reserve for special occasions?

Going to Peck in Milan, the wonderful old grocery store, and getting fresh pasta.

What’s your favorite small luxury to give to someone else?

I bring home chocolates and candy from Marchesi to my friends in the States. 

What do you do when you need to feel grounded?

Paint.

What is something you’d love for someone to buy for you, but would never buy for yourself?

I like being independent. Anything I want I would buy for myself.

What’s a generic that’s just as good as the original?  

Everything in the generic drugstore version seems to be just as good. 

What’s your favorite smell?

My wire-haired dachshund, Aurora. 

What’s a luxurious ritual you inherited from someone in your life?

Mending my clothes and sewing, from my mother.

What is the best thing you’ve put on your face recently?

The center color in the Portrait Prada Eyeshadow Palette.

What is your favorite luxury that costs less than $20?

Fresh cut lilies from the flower stand outside my apartment. 

What’s a wellness ritual you think is overrated?

Any skincare regimen over three steps. 

What is the most luxurious thing in your life that’s free?

Idle time spent witnessing the beauty of life. 

For more tips on how to live well, check out our interviews with spiritual fitness doyenne Taryn Toomey, artist Jacolby Satterwhite, and nightlife scribe Brock Colyar.