Meaghan Bertram is the owner of Refresh Vintage, a vintage store that features clothing and accessories, with a few home decor and furniture items. Refresh recently moved out of its former home at The Collective at Bayshore and into its own location on the East Side (921 E. Ogden Ave.). We spoke with her about the move, her favorite pieces in the store and more.
What inspired the move to this new location?
Really, the location itself. I liked that it was on the East Side. I liked that it was [in] the proximity of downtown, but then a little more residential. I know there’s a lot happening in Walker’s Point, there’s a lot happening in Bay View, Third Ward – and you know those places are all fantastic – but what I really liked about this was that it was more of a neighborhood feel. I like that it’s a little closer to families and people who live in the area, and it has proven itself great. So many people come in that life around here that are just walking by.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
Can you elaborate on your selection process for vintage items, and what kind of criteria you use?
My biggest criteria is quality. So, everything that you find at Refresh is going to be wool, silk, leather, real fur, things that you just can’t find in your normal shopping day-to-day unless it is at an extreme premium price. I feel like qualities from the past were just so much better. To be honest, in previous decades fabrics and things were just a higher quality.
Also, it has to have a unique factor. I don’t carry a lot of what you would call “basics” – it has to be a specialty item. So, weather that’s the buttons, the cut of the dress or a sash that’s attached, it’s something that makes you look at it again, a second look, and say ‘oh it has this.’ Just like how everybody is always saying, ‘oh the dress has pockets.’ You always want a little extra something.
Also, anything that pays homage to my Black history. So, if I see anything that’s a book, a piece of art, a T-shirt, anything that pays homage to my heritage is an automatic win at Refresh. I intentionally add pieces of Black history into my vintage assortment.
What do you hope customers feel when they walk into Refresh Vintage?
I want them to feel like they stumbled on a gem. I want them to come in and say, ‘oh my gosh, I just found the greatest new place.’ I want them to feel welcome, I want them to feel light. I want them to feel like every time they come in, they are going to find something different, but that it’s going to be a special piece, a quality piece, something they will hopefully hold onto and give it another life. I think that is what vintage is all about, giving really good things another life.
“I think that is what vintage is all about, giving really good things another life.”
What inspires you as a business owner, and how do you bring that inspiration into your work?
What inspires me is my customers, people sharing their stories. I get a mix of younger folks who are really knowledgeable about sustainability and being eco-friendly, and that’s their driver of why they shop vintage. Then there’s others that tend to be a little bit older, and they shop vintage for the nostalgia. Sometimes they don’t even think about what they want almost until they see it. Then I hear the stories of ‘I remember this.’
So, for me as a business owner I love to give people that remembrance, that nostalgia piece, and seeing the smiles on their faces. Things they know are one of a kind, things they know they are not going to find again and seeing them instantly fall in love with it, it just makes me happy. It’s an inspiration and a motivator for me.
What are your hopes for the future of Refresh in this new location?
My hope here, is that it expands. I think that this is the perfect intimate, initial place for it, but I can see it definitely growing into something larger. I can see it being in multiple places. I carry a lot of decor and furniture [online] that I would like to implement into the store. I think in the future, as it expands, as it grows, I will be able to have one that is a focus just on furniture and decor, then there’s another that’s just on clothing and accessories.
I also see myself, hopefully, being a destination place for Black vintage, for Black history pieces that are very unique to the city. I hope that as I grow, that people would know me for that.
“I also see myself, hopefully, being a destination place for Black vintage…”
What are your personal favorite pieces in the store right now, and why?
Everything for me is about fur right now, all the fur accessories. Anything from the stoles to the scarves, to muffs, earmuffs, I have so many fur pieces. I know some people are a little ‘eh’ of fur, but the thing is that it is already in creation, and that it would just create even more landfill to throw it out. So, you might as well just wear it, it’s already done, new fur is a different story. It instantly elevates your wardrobe. I could wear leggings and a sweatshirt, but if I put on a fur piece it immediately elevates it.
