The chances of Jay Hartington being born to Burt and Marissa Hartington and then becoming the CEO of their family-owned business, now celebrating its fiftieth year, are, when expressed as a percentage, minuscule. First, there is the generally accepted probability of a specific individual being born as one in four hundred trillion. Second, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that very few businesses make it to 50 years, suggesting a number less than 5 percent. Those that do are part of an elite group.
Jay’s father Burt, originally from Bennington, Vermont, studied accounting and hotel and restaurant management at Paul Smith’s College in New York and the University of Wisconsin. Along with seven friends, he moved to Marco Island in 1973 to start his career in the hospitality industry. Finding it too desolate for young men, the group gravitated northward to Naples.
His mother, Marissa, originally from Poland (where she graduated with a master’s degree in clinical psychology), was living and working in Saratoga Springs, New York, when she visited Naples with a girlfriend one year. After touring the town, Marissa suggested the pair should open a boutique. Young and unencumbered, they did just that in 1975, establishing a small shop on Fifth Avenue South in what is now Osteria Tulia. Marissa eventually bought her partner out.
Burt and Marissa met at The Dock at Crayton Cove. They dated, married, and became business partners in Marissa Collections, together running the boutique that offered, at the time, an upscale curation of clothing and accessories exclusively for women. In 1979, their only child, Jay, was born.
“I so enjoyed having a child,” Burt remarks. “Being Jay’s father was wonderful.” He remembers setting up a playpen in the back room at the store for Jay and recalls the many activities they shared over the years, from canoeing the backwaters of Vermont to attending Jay’s first open-water scuba dive. When Jay beat him in tennis at age 13, he readily admits he lost a bet and had to buy a couple of WaveRunners.
Over the years, a family bond knit the three together. Burt recounts traveling with Marissa and a young Jay to Europe, including communist Poland, a few times during Jay’s early years. The three continued to travel together as Jay grew. Today, Burt believes those regular excursions gave Jay an ease around foreign travel and meeting people.
Jay has fond memories of his childhood but also remembers his parents were always at the store working. “The only reason they were not open on Sundays was so they could have a day off,” he states. “They were very hands-on with their store. They worked hard and saved hard.”
Jay attended Saint Ann Catholic School and Seacrest Country Day School; he graduated from Naples High School. He reports he was not very focused academically. “I was a hyper kid,” he says. Jay had a passion for sports, particularly tennis and soccer. Once he found things he enjoyed learning about, he became a better student, eventually graduating eighth in his Naples High class.
His first job, he remembers, included “everything and anything at Marissa’s. I was at my parents’ beck and call.” He decided if he wanted regular hours, he would have to work for someone else and landed a valet parking job at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples.
During his teenage years in the small seasonal town of Naples, Jay spent time visiting with his friends and their parents. Many of these individuals were self-made. As he recalls, “Their jobs were their lives.” He witnessed the dedication it takes to run a business but also the rewards—like owning homes in beautiful settings. He also attended seasonal events and galas, where folks gathered to party for a cause.
Burt and Marissa proudly watched Jay head off to Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where he intended to study computer science. He jokes, “Our dorm was the first on campus to have Ethernet.” He decided computers were not a good fit for him, so he switched his major to business and corporate finance and his minor to Spanish and spent his junior year studying business in Spain. After college, he moved to New York City to work as an investment analyst with Bank of America, specifically in the oil and gas industry. “I loved the work but not the culture,” he says. “I was busy 100 hours a week.” He was not happy and, after nearly three years, was burnt out. He exited the finance industry with a very full bank account.
Young and adventurous, he enrolled in a prestigious cooking school in Florence, Italy. A nobody in the culinary world, his application was not taken seriously until he offered to pay for a full year in advance and only stay for six months. Following that experience (he still loves to cook), Jay became “a ski bum in Cortina [d’Ampezzo, Italy]” in the heart of the southern Alps. He also spent time in Milan and on the island of Sardinia, gaining fluency in Italian.
With no clear career path, he moved back to New York City and enrolled in the executive training program at Saks Fifth Avenue. “I was especially interested in private equity within a luxury industry,” he says. During “one of the coldest winters in New York City,” Jay planned a visit to Naples. He landed in what he considered “lovely tropical weather” and questioned why he was enduring the cold in the North. During his visit, his dad asked, “Would you ever think of coming back here?”
At the time, Burt and Marissa were in discussions to renew the lease on the two-story building in downtown Naples situated on the corner of Third Street South and Broad Avenue. “Have you ever thought about buying the space?” Jay asked them. Told the owners were not interested, he suggested negotiating and getting them on board with the idea. Eventually the Hartingtons did purchase the building, which includes almost 10,000 square feet of retail space on street level and offices on the second.
That was 2007; Burt and Marissa had been in business together for 32 years. Marissa, a buyer for the store, managed operations in the front. Burt, who handled anything related to accounting, says, “I stayed in the back.” He credits this division of labor to their successful and long-term partnership. Nowadays, Burt is winding down his involvement but mentions Marissa is as busy as ever.
Ready to Work
When only 28 years of age, Jay realized an opportunity was staring him in the face; he was perfectly positioned to immerse himself in the family business. “Growing Marissa Collections was the biggest personal opportunity of my life,” he affirms. Burt says he and his wife were delighted when Jay made the decision to move back to town and join the family business. They gave Jay his ground, letting him “take the lead on multiple new projects,” shares Burt.
Does Jay even like fashion? While he grew up in the business and often sat in front rows at New York runway shows, he sums it up this way: “I understand the value of clothes and dressing.
“I find jewelry more interesting,” says Jay. “I had to convince my mom, who was used to working within cycles of clothing and who had a seasons-based mentality, that jewelry was—although a different business model—theoretically the same business concept.” He grew the jewelry gallery when he came on board.
Jay had previously dabbled in co-creating brands and products, like Rumba Time, a low-cost silicone watch, available in an array of colors. He traveled frequently to China to develop the product. Although it was a monetary success, he says it ended with a changing business relationship in China and the introduction of the Apple Watch. Another such business was MakeupDrop, a silicone makeup applicator. Now, Jay views these business ventures as “broadening my life success,” admitting he would much rather invest in others—or other companies—than start his own enterprise.
Since 2015, Jay has excelled in a role he is well-suited for: company CEO. With three Marissa Collections locations—the Third Street South store, a resort boutique at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, and The Royal Poinciana Plaza in Palm Beach—along with an e-commerce site, Jay explains, “I’m always working.” He shares exciting plans for growing the business, including pop-up shops in key locations (like the Marissa Cottage in downtown Nantucket this past summer) and developing in-house brand Mish, a Polish nickname for Marissa. He is actively looking at other markets yet remains focused on what Marissa Collections is best known for: an ultra-personalized client experience.
With the help of his smart phone and dedicated employees (many who have been with the company for more than 20 years), Jay comments he is able to devote his weekends to daughter Holland (11), “soaking up the precious time we have together.” As she is an avid soccer player, he ferries her to numerous tournaments and games, watching her pursue her passion. Whenever together, he likes to engage Holland in discussions about running a company or current events, often asking for her opinions. Jay remarks, “She has an astute business mind.”
Jay tries to give his daughter as many opportunities in life as possible, including travel. He likes to remind Holland that someday she will be in a unique position to, as he says, “run a great business—if she wants.” Just as Burt and Marissa did for him, Jay will let Holland, the next heir in line, decide if a role in the family business is the right fit for her.
Off the Cuff
Jay Hartington discusses his personal style
NI: How did you develop your sense of style?
Hartington: Growing up in a family that lives and breathes fashion, I learned early on that great style is about confidence and authenticity—not trends.
Which brands or designers do you gravitate toward?
I’m drawn to brands that blend craftsmanship, subtle luxury, and a strong identity, such as Brunello Cucinelli, Eleventy, Orlebar Brown, Oliver Peoples, Hoorsenbuhs, Shamballa, and Foundrae.
How does your style reflect your personality?
Refined but relaxed. I appreciate classic tailoring but never take myself too seriously. I’m drawn to quality and detail, but I always want to feel comfortable and confident in what I wear.
What pieces of clothing or accessories are must-haves for your style?
A perfectly tailored blazer and a great pair of sunglasses. Plus, a stacked wrist anchored by a good watch—it tells more than time.
What is the one fashion item you would never part with?
A mosaic-inlay Western belt buckle I picked up in Jackson Hole at an antique jewelry shop. It has character and history.
What would you wear on the red carpet?
A navy shawl-lapel tuxedo from Brunello Cucinelli. It’s timeless, tailored, and never overdone.
And, bow tie or tie? Tie.
Socks or no socks? No socks. Untucked or tucked? Tucked. Pants or shorts? Pants.
Story Credits:
Shot on location at Marissa Collections, Naples
Photo assistant: Anastasia Walborn
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