I’ve been telling you since Envy opened in New Jersey as “Melissa Gorga’s” boutique it was all smoke and mirrors. Well, not smoke and mirrors exactly, but it wasn’t exactly Melissa’s store. The store belonged to Jackie Beard Robinson. Just like Kyle Richard’s Alene Too stores are owned by Boca Raton businesswomen, Debbie Weisman and Lizzy Schwartz. Kyle’s situation is a bit different because she has partnered with the owners to run her own shops in Beverly Hills in New York on her own. But Kyle’s name is still the draw for those two locations. Envy by Melissa Gorga was owned by Robinson, and Melissa Gorga made a percentage of the sales profits(reportedly 20%). It was a bit more than being a paid spokesperson (like Sonja and Tipsy Girl), but not the level of responsibility that Kyle has. Melissa showed up in the store and tweeted on social media for a percentage of the profits.
As we noticed on the show, Jackie was not really interested in being on the show. During filming she headed off to the beach to let Melissa do what Melissa was supposed to do, stand around in the store and look pretty and do infomercials during filming of RHONJ. She did that from the beginning of the season with the conveniently timed “Grand Opening” with the step and repeat for photos of all the cast mates. She and Joe had tons of fake scenes about how she was slaving away at Envy and she was never home. She showed up the filming of Juicy Joe being hauled off to prison wearing an Envy hat. She did her part.
But something has happened and the likely thing that is happened is that not enough size twos showed up to buy the merch. Jackie said many times that Melissa was selling to a very narrow market, but Melissa kept on with the tiny clothes orders. I’m pretty sure most of the women in New Jersey fall into a range of normal sized women. Jackie is not making a profit and Melissa doesn’t want to change the merchandise she orders.
So Jackie pulled the plug on the shop. She’s the owner. She paid for the merchandise, and last Sunday, she had it all cleaned out down to the computers and shut the shop down. The odd thing it seems like Kim D is the one who assisted in getting all of the merchandise taken over to one of her Posche stores. Jackie was in Boca Raton for NYE. Melissa arrived at the store on Monday to find nothing but empty walls. Melissa put paper up on the windows saying the store was closed temporarily to update with a spring collection.
The bottom line is Envy has closed.
Kim D is calling Melissa out on social media saying “Keep running your lying mouth @melissagorga !!!! You are a Fraud and a fake, with all your phony story lines !!! I have more for you !!!!! #grifter #scammer #idontplay” Jackie is out of the New Jersey boutique business. Posche is holding a fire sale Thursday from 5-10 pm at the Allendale store with Jackie who will be back in New Jersey sometime today.
So basically just another day in Jersey. And no, filming has not started but I’m going to guess production tries to hustle up somebody to go film this shit show tomorrow.
Melissa Gorga still claims she will go on. Stay tuned.
Darn, I never did get there and it was only a mile or so away from my house. I heard the sizes in the front of the shop were small but if you asked they had larger sizes in the back (although I suspect larger meant an 8 or 10). Who wants to ask them to check for larger sizes in a back room, especially when you’re paying $200.00 for jeans? Maybe it’s just me, but I wouldn’t like it. Montclair is full of well dressed women but most (almost all) don’t shop in town except in a pinch. They hit the NYC, mall or online.
Envy was also in a bad location, the rents were probably very reasonable, but parking sucks in that area. I doubt many people even knew it was even there.
I never bought the Melissa, “I am woman, hear me roar” storyline circa 1975, it seemed too contrived.
Slice…you missed nada. I work around the corner from the shop, and it was unimpressive to say the least. And yes, parking was terrible and you easily would’ve missed it driving by.
Maybe if Melissa was out front with a arrow sign you might go in.. Stikcer prices shocked me.
My sister and I once walked into a shop (we are in our 50s), took a look around, and asked the worker, “do you have sizes for people like us?” We are an 8 and a 12. They did not. No sale. 🙂
Well on the bright side at least this gives Melisa more time be a wife and mother.
Horney Joe must be smilin’ (secretly of course).
They really need to scrap this show or totally recast it. The storylines are fake or basically non-existent. Kim D. is not my favorite by any means but she is a genuine successful businesswoman . I would rather see her life on the show because at least she is not pretending. The rest especially Melissa and criminal Teresa, and crazy Jaqueline need to go.
Not surprised Envy went out of business. WOnder how big Melisa’s check was for for a portion of the profits?
Not much larger than if she had been their top salesperson on a 20% commission.
Well, Thank the Lord they still have their dump truck/shredding business, oh wait … Well, thank goodness they’re still raking in all of that dough for “Love Italian Style: The Secrets of My Hot and Happy Marriage”. Um, er, ya, nevermind. Friggin nincompoops!
Oh, yes and the Melissa singing career..and the new house they were building Curious did it ever sell?
I dislike Housewives who think ever thing they do Time for the trash. will turn to gold. Everything has a shelf life…and this franchise is a can of tomato paste that you found in your pantry that is starting to bulge . Horrors you purchased it in 2013. Time for the trash for the paste and this show.
I dig your analogy with the bulging tomato paste can. ☺Shit, I just remembered the ever mandatory ‘real housewife’ HSN jewelry hawking as well. Her line is/was exceptionally cheap and tacky looking.
Lol.
Well I think two things, why is Kim D so hostile? why on earth does she care so much what Melissa does or does not do? This is no different than the singing career of Asa, what happened to that? Kathy’s dessert business or Sonja’s toaster oven business. What happened to those?
At least Melissa made a deal with someone that did not involve stealing from people like T did.
Asa still sings and records, as well as having her Kaftan business and her other artistic endeavors. She’s currently nine months pregnant and ready to give birth at any moment.
Kathy still has a dessert business, caters events and a dessert recipe book either out on in the works.
Sonja has some box designs for a toaster oven business.
Gotta love RHONJ where fans says, “At least she didn’t fraud people out of 14 million dollars” when someone mentions that someone’s singing career, garbage truck, homebuilding and Thotwear business didn’t work out.
Im not a fan of NJ. But I do appreciate an honest dollar when so many have gone the other way.
Im not dissing Asa, but we have not seen her sing for at least 3 seasons.
One of Asa’s songs was nominated for an Oscar. Just because she is not singing on the show for free doesn’t mean she is not working in the studio.. What the hell that has to do with Melissa escapes me. Asa also just published a book. She does not belong in this discussion, point blank AND the period.
Thought she was on the short list for a Oscar nomination…lol
What about the diamond water?
What about She by Sheree?
What about those Maloof Hoofs?
What about TruRenewal or whatever Ramona’s skin care line was?
Melissa failed. It happens. Hopefully she’ll find her niche. She’s not that bad.
I certainly didn’t say she was bad at all. I answered questions and made fun of someone for saying at least she didn’t steal eleventy billion dollars.
Why the hate on Asa ! I’ve never been even considered for an Oscar and I’m sure you haven’t either .
Asa’s pregnant? She’ll make a great Mom!! Who is the daddy?
LMFAO! “Thotwear”!!!!! I am just catching up on this story after seeing the the first episode of RHONJ! I never bought Melissa’s storyline last season, especially the scene where Joe is looking at fake blueprints at home while the kids are running around buck wild. For not being a housewife or even an official friend of a housewife, nor appearing on WWHL, Kim D has been a key player in amping up the drama for viewership. We can always count on her for some shade to when we are nodding off. xo PJ
She could totally rock an oaken barrel with a single shoulder strap.
New Jersey is just over. Let it go..
Melissa was posting pics on the envy Facebook page just a few days ago, December 30th. She looks as if she’s had another nose job.
When are they gonna understand that people can do math and know facts. It’s public knowledge what these people earn and their lifestyle does not reflect that.
Example: The Pumps. Several functioning (ish, maybe..) Businesses, two reality shows, countless sponsorship deals, and its a fact the sold Soho Bars Group for around 60mil, including what they were worth before with savings and investments. With the amount of freebies they get on top, we can assume they are living a sustainable life.
HOWEVER: Gorgas for example. HUGE home, no discernible income stream, husband doesnt seem to be doing a whole bunch, still very flashy. Buying a 20k watch for example should theoretically leave a huge dent in their income that would just be unaffordable. That said, I don’t work on credit.
Do they just assume we’re all thick as mince???
That’s not to say that the Pumpers are honest to goodness, straight up, upstanding Christian fellows. Oh no, most people with that wealth have cut a few corners and stabbed a few backs, even the “legal” ones. You dont amass that much without fundamentally being a bit of a myopic and selfish, perhaps narcissistic cunt. But we can safely say there’s still a bob or two left.
Mark, a friend of mine has relatives in New Jersey. She says they live in McMansions and run little corner store flower shops. That sounds mobbed up to me.
It does, doesn’t it??? But how do they not get exposed??? The ones in the public eye I mean… I bet if I went on a reality show, within two minutes I’d get arrested for that one time I forgot to pay a bar tab when I was drunk 8 years ago. Jesus.
And another one bites the dust!!! It’s sad but absolutely hilarious to see these ladies have to eat crow after strutting around like show ponies bathed in gold. The show is beyond dead and these women are just refusing to admit that they are washed up.
So how can she simultaneously just be a glorified promo girl for a store owned by a different entity — and then on the other hand be the decision maker when it comes to purchasing power in carrying small sizes and merchandising the store, etc.?
As we learned today, apparently she would put the fat sizes in the back room.
Plus no one said she didn’t do things when the owner was out of town, which apparently is a lot. But the owner can order stock from the beach.
If she was only the face of the store why would the actual owner allow her to order products. Seems like she was actually involved in the store operations. You’re contradicting yourself a bit there.
Sorry you are confused. Maybe try reading it again?
I don’t give a hoot about most of this discussion, TT told us ages ago Melissa was the face of the store not the owner.
Even then Ivthought good for her, a great way to learn the business. Business’s fail & close, no biggie.
Kim D. has my interest, why does she still care what the NJ wives do or say?
Kim seems full of venom towards Melissa.
Are they filming NJ? Haven’t heard a peep and they usually film during this time of year. Hopefully, it’s been put out of its misery and cancelled.