New children’s boutique has flair for the unique

BY SETH MANDEL
Staff Writer

SCOTT PILLING staff Ommie’s Treasures owner Emily Lovuolo (l) and her mother, Betty, with dog, “Lulu.” MILLTOWN — For Emily Lovuolo, fashion isn’t just a passion, it’s her heritage.

“The whole idea of having the access to high fashion, it was kind of in our blood,” Lovuolo said, explaining that both of her sisters worked in the industry and her brother still does, thanks to a “fashion gene” the family says has been passed down through several generations.

Lovuolo’s grandmother used to work at the Town Shoppe, a boutique in North Brunswick that moved to Menlo Park before closing.

PHOTOSBY SCOTT PILLING staff “She passed on her sense of style to my father, and my mother has a very good sense of style, and we just grew up that way,” Lovuolo said.

Lovuolo has carried on that tradition, recently opening a children’s boutique in Milltown. Ommie’s Treasures, located at 30 North Main St., carries children’s clothing and toys, as well as some merchandise for women.

The store moved into the location that for 53 years was occupied by Modern Maid Fashion Shoppe, which closed in April.

“My tag line is, ‘Precious pieces for princes and princesses, and the queen, too,’ ” Lovuolo said.

Ommie’s Teasures, a boutique geared mostly to children, has opened in the North Main Street location long occupied by Modern Maid Fashion Shoppe. Lovuolo’s expertise is not limited to intuition, however. She studied fiber arts, or textiles, at Savannah College of Art and Design, in Savannah, Ga. After graduating in 1995, she immediately wanted to put her training to use, but she was aware that the transition would be a difficult one.

“Owning my own business is something that I’ve always wanted,” Lovuolo said. “And knowing that I graduated with a degree in art, I knew that I would have to work for a little while to save up to be able to afford the investment.”

So Lovuolo, a lifelong resident of South Brunswick, worked as a billing coordinator for Rutgers University, New Brunswick. She saved up the money she needed, and on July 1 she and her mother, Elizabeth, opened the doors to Lovuolo’s first self-owned business.

“When we decided that we were going to go into business, we talked about what kind of a business we wanted,” Lovuolo said. “And we were originally thinking about maybe continuing on with women’s clothing. But the more we talked about it, the more we decided we know little kids, we know children.”

Lovuolo said some of that knowledge comes from her nieces and nephews, one of whom unknowingly gave the shop its name.

She said her niece couldn’t pronounce the name Emily, and there was already an Emmie in her family, so Lovuolo was dubbed “Ommie.”

She added that she hopes the shop will fill a need in the community as well.

“We know that there’s no specialty items stores in Central Jersey,” she said.

The response has been encouraging.

The community’s reaction to the store opening, Lovuolo said, has been “overwhelmingly positive,” and customers appreciate the convenience of the shop’s proximity to their homes.

“And they just like the way the store is laid out, how uniquely I’ve decorated it, and how unique the things that I carry are,” she said.

The merchandise does not include articles of clothing that customers would find in local department stores. Rather, Lovuolo said, customers should visit Ommie’s Treasures if they want something that would make their child stand out from the crowd.

“If you just want your child to have one of the most unique outfits available, and you would be the type of person that would look for things that aren’t mainstream,” Lovuolo said.

But mainstream or not, Lovuolo said she has been welcomed into the community with open arms.

“I’m really appreciative of the overwhelming response from everyone who’s come into the store, and everyone who has wished me good luck in the community,” she said.

Ommie’s Treasures is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Some items on display at the new boutique.