Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley always wanted to have a mommy and me shop inspired by her daughter, Meilani. Farley says she knew exactly where she wanted to open the shop the day she took her kids to Nickelodeon Universe, the theme park at American Dream in East Rutherford. Her son Greyson had an accident on the ride and Farley says it was the “best thing that could have happened” that afternoon.
A staffer at American Dream took Farley through the children’s clothing stores at the megamall. “We were trying to go to The Children’s Place for a change of clothes and I was seeing all the stores and I passed these stores and I said this is it,” she told New Jersey Family. “This is where I want to have my first store with my daughter.”
Last week, Farley’s vision became a reality when her shop, Heavenly Flower, opened its doors for the first time at American Dream. New Jersey Family was invited to the shop’s official opening party and got a first look at the store’s unique collections. From matching mom and child “Be a Good Human” and “Not Today Rona” t-shirts to fun “Lover of Cancelled Plans” tote bags to a mix of keeping it real signs that say things like “I Live In a Madhouse Run By a Tiny Army That I Made Myself” and “Wash Your Hands Ya Filthy Animal,” the shop is filled with cute, affordable finds for mamas and their mini-mes from sizes baby through adult.
The Inspiration Behind Heavenly Flower
We sat down with Farley to talk about the inspiration behind the shop’s clothes, the Instagram-worthy décor—including a stunning flower wall by New York Backdrops (@nybackdrops) and lounge area—and how she came up with the name Heavenly Flower. “Heavenly Flower is based on my daughter’s name,” Farley said. “She was named after Bethany Hamilton who lost her arm to a shark. Lani is heaven in Hawaiian and Mei is a plum blossom flower in Chinese. So Heavenly Flower was always an inspiration to me for a product line.”
About a year ago, Farley and Meilani started working on Fashion Nova mommy and me looks when Meilani told her mom she would love a store that they could call their own. Farley was drawn to American Dream because of its support for small brands and unique collaborations.
“My dream was to have a beautiful store named after my daughter with flowers all around that’s based on my daughter and actually the purples and pinks are all picked by my daughter,” she said of Meilani, a budding entrepreneur who’ll turn 7 in July. “If there’s something that I can see in her future, this is it. I’m just the mom to make it happen but she’s the vision.”
Beyond the clothes and accessories for women and kids, Farley wanted the shop to be a fun and relaxing experience for moms and their kids or groups of girlfriends. “I want people to come into the store and just have a great experience whether they like something or not,” Farley said, adding that she wants visitors to “feel like they can lounge with their girlfriends, take pictures, hang out and if they see something they can get it.”
An Inclusive Shopping Experience
Farley says the looks in the shop will go beyond mommy and me and will also include unisex and genderless options. “We’re really trying to switch it up so boys can shop here,” she told us. “My son’s middle name is Valor so I want to make a valor section and have mommy and me boys.”
The majority of the clothing in the shop was purchased from women and minority-owned small businesses, something else Farley is proud of. She’s also planning to make the store sensory inclusive for children with special needs. Her son Greyson was diagnosed with autism in 2018 and Farley is an advocate for special needs awareness. She serves on the board of KultureCity, a non-profit organization dedicated to building inclusion, accessibility and acceptance for people with invisible disabilities. Farley plans to train Heavenly Flower staff to understand sensory needs such as recognizing if the lights are too harsh and need to be dimmed or if the music needs to be turned down.
Heavenly Flower is located at American Dream in East Rutherford and you can also shop online at shopheavenlyflower.com.
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