He's a film guy -- writing, shooting, editing, and producing. She's the beauty queen -- styling, applying, coloring, and trimming. Together they are The Establishment.
When husband and wife duo Howie Goldklang and Carly Flynn moved to Milwaukee from Los Angeles they brought with them the perfect storm of skills -- he a budding filmmaker, she an experienced esthetician -- to create The Establishment, a half boutique salon, half indie film production house at 4503 N. Oakland Ave.
Upon opening in early summer 2004, their focus was music videos; Goldklang would film and direct, and Flynn would style the stars, like she'd been doing in L.A.
Now, four years later, The Establishment is still going strong -- the couple has won multiple awards for best salon, best barber, best stylist, best hair removal -- you name it -- every year being in business -- but they say their focus has shifted.
"In Milwaukee it's maybe not as easy to do it like we thought we would," says Flynn, who works as the head stylist. "When we worked in New York and L.A. together it was much easier because there were a lot more film projects going on there. Here, Howie's done a lot of work on documentary film, which doesn't require as much hair and makeup."
But the couple has collaborated on other endeavors, such as photo shoots, events and on-the-spot makeovers, pompadours and "David Bowie makeup," like they did at parties for the former Milwaukee International Film Festival.
But with the film festival on temporary hiatus, The Establishment has begun to take on new rolls and identities, although they are working with the new Milwaukee Film on next year's sponsorships.
"When we came here, it was salon and film. Now, I feel like the 'and' has expanded to all kinds of creative corners around Milwaukee," says Goldklang. "Film is still at the heart of it because that's what I'm passionate about, but the 'and' is where we continue to grow and have fun."
Flynn adds, "Maybe we should call it The Establishment Salon and Art Endeavors?"
The couple occupies its non-salon time with Gallery Nights, independent art events, even a monthly film column in a local magazine.
Goldklang (aka DJ How) also hosts a DJ night called Rocksteady that hits the Redroom on the second Saturday of each month, Burnhearts on the last Saturday of each month and at Luna Lounge on first Fridays.
But you'll catch him out and about at various art and music happenings around the city, including tonight, Saturday, Nov. 15, at Smoked Out, a great American rock show featuring The Celebrated Workingman, IfIHadAHiFi and Canyons of Static at the Cactus Club.
Flynn says the salon itself has evolved in conjunction with her husband's creative outlets, but they really are a power team.
"She's my sounding board," Goldklang says of his wife. "I've got all these crazy ideas and she helps me make sense of it."
Above all, the salon stays the primary focus. And although theirs is located along what Flynn calls "salon row," she says they maintain a strong, loyal customer base by staying fresh and current -- and the free Alterra coffee and good music doesn't hurt either.
"Our customers become family," she says. "That's never happened to me before -- where I've become such a part of the community's life. It's awesome."
By 2009, look for Goldklang with the shears in his hand, too. He's graduating from beauty school this December.
"I become a product of my environment," he says of his newfound creative outlet. "It's not like my filmmaking suffered, but our focus just changed. I had this vision of people getting in touch to shoot commercials and music videos and when that didn't (happen) in the first six months or year, we just rolled with how we were evolving and changing."
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.”
