This garden state native brings Italian style to the Jersey Shore

by Caleigh Ostrom • Photos By Robert Nuzzie

From a young age, Michael La Morte was drawn to fashion, intrigued by the lifestyles clothing could both emulate…even establish, and how materials could elevate someone to a different stature. As a boy he was fond of experimenting with clothes and dressing himself in French tam hats, sailor outfits, and anything else unique he could get his hands on.

La Morte studied at Christian Brothers Academy High School in Lincroft, and furthered his education at New York University, where he studied French and Italian. During one summer during his college years, he was a parking-lot attendant in Asbury Park, where he began to analyze the culture, people, lothing, and re-development along the ocean. With people from all over the world coming to the area, and given the rapid change in the community, La Morte began to notice what the women were wearing…and what the boardwalk was lacking. “I decided I had to put a store there that offered clothing other than tee-shirts and hoodies. Something different and beautiful,” said La Morte. So, in the spring of 2015, he opened Moda Positano, an Italian luxury lifestyle boutique offering unique fashion for women. His collection includes rarities typically found only in resorts like Positano, Capri, Ibiza, and St. Barths—from formal and casual dresses, blouses, and beachwear to bikinis, bags, and jewelry. The eclectic designs and bohemian styles represent what La Morte termed “the well-traveled woman with timeless looks.”

The business is located on the Asbury Park Boardwalk—its décor, with its Southern Italian elements, creates a sense of the Amalfi Coast

“Most experiences at the store can be defined as unforeseen indulgences concluding with the excitement of discovering a rare jewel,” said La Morte. “Those ‘Aha!’ moments make all the work worthwhile.

Moda Positano
915 Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park / 732-687-8711
modapositanoboutique.com