To know that veteran Milwaukee stylist (and musician) Liv Mueller named her Shorewood salon, Divine, after John Waters' famous drag queen from the '70s and '80s, is to understand a very important part of the business-owner's personality.
She loves sass, and fun and kitsch -- and when things are just a tad naughty. Most of all, she loves Divine as a character. The queen's portrait hangs large and luminous in the styling area, as if she's watching over Mueller as she creates beauty below.
It comes as little surprise, then, that Mueller's new boutique -- an extension of her salon, located in the same building at 4312 N. Oakland Ave. -- parallels Divine's affinity for the offbeat, the funky and the flirty.
"I'm calling it Milwaukee's first and only parlor of awesome," she says.
It's name? Trash. And the space exudes her attitude from the minute you walk through the front door. Your eyes immediately move to a gaudy, but fantastic chandelier in the center of the room, dangling over a large, colorful rug boasting a life-sized Vegas showgirl. There's are bowls of candy; sometimes there are Twinkies "because they are trashy," says Mueller with a smirk.
As a boutique, Trash is not limited to just one thing. The clothing racks are aesthetically arranged to showcase her savvy collection of pre-selected vintage, resale, and classic garb (including a fine men's section), as well as a selection of new apparel and accessories. Everything -- even the great vintage boots -- is priced between $17 and $44.
Near the dressing room is the home goods section where you'll find treasures like pinup girl lamps, punk rock oven mitts, cool coffee table coasters and polyester shower curtains.
And if you play your cards right, you just might win something. If you, for example, walk in and say the line, "My name is Luka, I live on the second floor," (from Suzanne Vega's hit "Luka") you could walk out with your very own Trash coffee mug for free.
That's just the kind of place this is.
"I'm just sick and tired of everything being so safe, in terms of fashion and clothing and attitude," says Mueller. "And that's why I called the boutique Trash. You come here, you're chomping on gum, you get your hair done, you buy some vinyl pants or a leopard skin purse or a pair of stiletto boots and you're good to go."
Her rhetorical paints an appropriate picture of the space. It certainly isn't the Gap.
"We call it the anti-Banana Republic," chimes in stylist Kevin Rock.
But that's not to say you won't find cute and affordable everyday basics here, too. You don't have to be a glam girl or guy to find the right look; rather, you just have to be open to crafting your own style with what she's provided. The bottom line? Don't take yourself too seriously here. Have fun. Be campy, bevampy, be anything you want to be.
After all, her motto is, "If you don't want to look like trash, we don't want you want you to shop here."
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
