Photo by Kelsie Herzog
Ashley Smith
Ashley Smith
Alive and Fine is a store located in the heart of Bay View at 2652 Kinnickinnic Ave. Opened in 2016, the store specializes in vintage, home goods and themed art shows. Ashley Smith is the owner; she is also co-founder of popular local markets One Trick Pony and Hovercraft.
Ashley Smith’s parents are antique dealers, and she developed an appreciation for vintage clothing from a young age. “I grew up going to sales and was really interested in fashion,” she recalls. “My parents own an antique mall in Missouri, so when I would sort through things with them, I started collecting, wearing and buying vintage.”
Smith knew she wanted to have her own store one day. She started by buying and selling vintage online, and in 2014 she began doing vintage pop-ups under the name Alive and Fine. “It’s nice to have clothing that’s close to a hundred years old but is still alive and still fine,” Smith remarked about the name.
She also spent time focused on music and had previously been the vocalist of alternative rock band Whips. Notably, Smith is co-founder of music day camp Girls Rock Milwaukee.
Bay View Shop
Photo by Mike Olen
Alive and Fine
Alive and Fine
When her friend let her know about an available space on Kinnickinnic, Smith jumped at the chance. Alive and Fine opened on Black Friday in 2016. “It was really busy with lots of friends,” Smith remembers about that day. “The first years felt pretty rough (laughs). I had to really transition into learning how to put myself out there in order to get people to come to the shop.”
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The Alive and Fine inventory comprises many 20th century styles and aesthetics, especially from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s. Smith gravitates towards high-quality, domestically made vintage with vibrant colors and patterns. “My shop is pretty colorful and loud, so there’s a lot of that, but we’ve got more flat clothing too,” she notes. “There’s something for everyone here.”
Collectibles and curios scattered throughout Alive and Fine such as glassware and artwork are for sale as well. The store runs weekly sales “Mini Mondays” for kids’ items and “Stuff and Things Thursdays” for non-clothing items, plus they have occasional giveaway sales where a percentage of proceeds are donated to a local cause or GoFundMe.
Smith curates themed collections for holidays, usually launched with an accompanying event featuring workshops, activities and fun window decorations. For example, Alive and Fine’s recent Easter event featured an egg hunt, art for kids and Tintypes with the Easter Bunny by Margaret Muza. Additionally, last Halloween they collaborated with Joey Turbo of Promises on a spooky two-night haunted house titled “Haunted Nights.”
Gallery Night and Beyond
Photo by Mike Olen
Alive and Fine
Alive and Fine
Several times a year, Alive and Fine hosts a group gallery night where different artists come showcase their work around a theme. Their first one had been a blacklight-themed show for Bay View Gallery Night. Other galleries since have been themed around John Carpenter, Nickelodeon, Twin Peaks, Wisconsin folklore and more.
Smith says these events are what she is most proud of about Alive and Fine. “I feel like they’re where I can truly shine as a creative person,” she contends. “It’s rewarding to see everyone collaborate under the guise of one single theme, and I always end up learning so much about something that I probably wouldn’t have outside of these shows. They’re my pride and joy and I love them so much.”
Alive and Fine also began hosting solo art shows this past year, so far local artists Cara Corder and Pat Murphy have been featured. The next one is coming up in June and will be announced soon.
The store’s next group gallery show is coming up on May 31 from 5 to 10 p.m., bringing a country and western theme complete with live honky tonk music from Long Line Riders and Outlaw DJs Lauren Landa and Keith Richard Stendler. “I’ve been listening to a lot of country music and getting really excited, even though a lot of country music is really sad,” Smith laughs.
Alive and Fine is also working with One Trick Pony on a new “Low Budget Show” June 7 at Bad Moon Saloon, where there will be a $10-and-under night market featuring low budget vintage and movies on screen. “It’ll be a fun way to shop cheap and sustainably,” Smith said. Then on September 13 they are at Bad Moon Saloon once again for “Friday the 13th Fest” which will feature more low budget vintage, an art show with “Friday the 13th” movies playing.
On the biggest things she has learned from Alive and Fine, Ashley Smith shares, “It’s okay to ask for help. I have a really hard time with that, but once I got pregnant and realized I wasn’t going to be able to be here all the time, I had to really learn to trust the people working in the shop and really lean on them. It was hard for me but ended up being a valuable lesson. Just from how the shop started, saying yes to things and figuring it out as we go is how I’ve been able to accomplish so much.”
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Alive and Fine is open Monday 12-6 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday 12-6 p.m. and Sunday 12-5 p.m. Visit their website at ashley-smith-uob9.squarespace.com and follow them on Instagram @aliveandfinestore.
