Brian Firkus, also known as Trixie Mattel, is a 33 year old American drag queen. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Brian rose to fame after his debut on season 7 of RuPaul’s drag race back in 2015. When he got the call that he had been chosen the first time to make an appearance, he was halfway through cosmetology school. His plan included finishing school and launching his makeup career after the show ended but was able to find that his success on the show had blossomed, leading his drag to become his full time career. Brian added that if he had to choose a career unrelated to drag, he would have become a real estate agent. He was later brought back to the show in 2018, for RuPaul’s drag race Allstars, which is for former queens from previous seasons. She currently holds a place in the drag race hall of fame for winning her season on Allstars.
She has since been featured in countless magazines, hundreds of drag shows worldwide, she is a singer/songwriter, and has been in many movies as well as television shows. She also has a book and a podcast out with her close friend and competitor, Katya. Trixie also did create her own makeup line and has recently opened up her own motel!
Located in Palm Springs, California, this newly renovated motel is one of a kind. Trixie and her boyfriend, David Springs, have briefly talked about a “Trixie themed” vacation rental place, which they kept bringing up whenever they would go back and visit Palm Springs. The happy couple had already fallen in love with the area,particularly because of the motel actually being walking distance from all of the city’s main attractions. With several rooms that each have their own theme, the motel has received some positive attention through Trixie’s own social media accounts as well as her own friends who have been helping her build and create the motel alongside her. She has also created her own television show to publicly announce and document her making her creations come to life. Her show has gotten the attention of HGTV, talking about her brave venture into unknown territory for the queen. The show portrays the process of getting building permits, alcohol permits, buying the materials necessary, and, of course, decorating each of the rooms. Rooms are starting to sell out quickly, the price ranging from 400-900 dollars for each night you stay there.
The rooms have become popular quickly because of their uniqueness and unconventional designs. There are three most popular queen sized rooms, one being a “Queen of Hearts,” theme. The other two are “Atomic Bomb Shell Room,” and “Malibu Barbara” room. Alongside the rooms, there is a cute pink pool with a great view of the city. Each room can be seen on the motel’s website before possibly purchasing your stay there.
Trixie Mattel has really paved the way for future drag queens, inspiring many with her ample amount of talent and versatility. She is not shy to try something she hasn’t done before, from launching her music career to being on a special pride month commercial for JetBlue airlines. She definitely keeps her fans on their toes, making them excited for whatever surprises she has yet to reveal.
