Jenny Walton is one of those people you either know nothing about or are truly, deeply infatuated with. There's simply no in between. The Milan-based fashion illustrator and designer has garnered a devoted following online for her artistic pursuits and enviable Italian lifestyle and, perhaps even more intensely, for her covetable collection of vintage clothes and accessories.
Walton's wardrobe is largely made up of Prada and Miu Miu (Miuccia Prada is one her personal style muses, and it shows) as well labels like Celine and Dries Van Noten. Sometimes when I see Walton donning a certain item, like a cerulean trench coat or a pair of gingham pedal pushers, I'm launched down a rabbit hole in search of that specific item or something similar on resale sites. I know I'm not alone here. In the internet age when personal style is losing favor to algorithmic sameness, what makes Walton's style so enticing is that no one else does it quite like her.
When I heard that Walton was selling a number of her favorite vintage items on Vestiaire Collective, I was all ears. Ahead, I'm sitting down with her to chat about style inspirations, her most treasured vintage find, and the pieces she's parting ways with (devastating for her, thrilling for me). Shop her closet and see similar styles. Plus, you can peruse a selection of vintage items she's handpicked from Vestiaire.
Describe your personal style.
It's kind of like if Miuccia Prada and Larry David had a child. Sometimes, I like to play with more subversive messages, and sometimes, I just like a good pair of cords and a white T-shirt layered under a navy sweater.
Tell me about your relationship with vintage. How much of your closet would you say is vintage? Where do you buy it? How often do you add to your wardrobe? Which eras/designers/silhouettes do you hunt for?
Well, I grew up going to antique markets and thrift stores with my mom in New Jersey, and I really liked that. Between that and the fact that she is an amazing quilter and taught me how to sew, it gave me the freedom and tools to create my own style. It was born in the purest way because I wanted to create my own style, and vintage and thrift-store finds allowed that on my essentially nonexistent budget. Once I moved to New York and went to Parsons and was studying fashion design, I had all the flea markets that I would go to for inspiration, and I would end up finding great vintage things, like an old leather L.L.Bean bag for $30 that now sells for $500+. A lot of my wardrobe is vintage, but a lot of it was also made in the last 20 years, but I bought it secondhand. I've bought a few things at Prada, but the majority of my items I've bought secondhand. I like to do a mix of online shopping and in person. Stores are great because you can be surprised by something you weren't looking for, whereas online, you can be more targeted.
What has been your best vintage find?
I remember the first auction I went to. My mother took me to somewhere in Jersey or Pennsylvania when I was home from college or my first job as a design assistant, and we had never really been to auction like that before. Well, we got "the fever," as they would call it, and bid on a few things and were really excited. It wasn't too much. I think we spent maybe $100 to $200, but one of the things I bid on was this surprise box full of random vintage dresses, and one ended up being an old 1960s Miss New Jersey costume. It was this floor-length gown with a sash, and I really loved it. It felt like I had found a real treasure.
How do you decide what stays and what goes when you do a closet clean-out? How often do you audit your wardrobe?
It's a bit different each time, but this last spring-cleaning, I took everything out of my wardrobe and then, piece by piece, put back only the things that I really loved. In the end, what was left over I either put in storage if I think I'll wear it again, or I donate/sell.
For the pieces you're selling, why you were drawn to them, and how or where did you wear them?
I find that every piece in my wardrobe has a different lifespan, and some pieces I've worn to visual exhaustion and want to make space for something new to take its place. The Dries top, for example, I've worn so much that I'm ready to make space for something new. Other pieces, such as the pink Prada dress, I love but find myself picking other pieces over it and would prefer it go to someone it's better suited for.
Inside Walton's Vintage Closet Sale
Blue Celine skirt: "[This] is from one of my favorite collections, resort 2008. My friend Tommy gave me an amazing floral dress from this collection, which I wore to the Venice Film Festival two years ago."
Shop similar skirts:
Prada jacket: "The short green Prada jacket is a shortened version of the opening look from fall 2003."
Shop similar jackets:
Prada dress: "[This] is from the incredible Prada F/W 00 collection, and I love it, but it didn't fit me right. I didn't want to alter such an iconic piece, so I'm hoping someone else can appreciate [it]."
Shop similar dresses:
Black Prada skirt: "The pleated black Prada skirt is a shorter version of look 28 from F/W 02."
Shop similar skirts:
The Vintage Picks She's After Next
