MEET FRĒDA WOMAN: DIANNA COHEN
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF.
I am the Founder and CEO of Crown Affair, a haircare brand empowering people to redefine their relationship with their hair through clean, accessible, luxury products, guidance and community. I’ve worked in the consumer space for almost a decade, starting first in Editorial production at Into The Gloss back in 2012. That experience opened my eyes to the power of beauty to connect us in a deeper way online. After that, I was lucky to be an early employee or brand consultant at several high-growth consumer startups including Away, Outdoor Voices, Harry’s, Spring and Tamara Mellon.
WHY HAIRCARE?
I’ve always been the go-to friend for hair advice. Growing up, I found self-assurance through caring for my hair, which sparked a lifelong obsession with everyday rituals we all use to care for ourselves and connect with one another. The only thing I enjoyed more than testing new products and routines was talking to other people about what worked for them. I began sharing a Google doc filled with all the knowledge I had obtained through word of mouth and research. From learning how to care for different hair types and textures, to the ways that hair reflects our culture and our identities, hair became a hobby and a new point of connection.
TALK TO US ABOUT STARTING A BUSINESS.
It’s been the most beautiful journey starting my own business. As an early employee at startups over the past decade, you learn so much along the way, but nothing prepares you for bringing your own baby into the world and being a founder. Part of my personal mission is to build and create things that change the way people feel about themselves—I’ve been doing that since before Crown Affair, so it was a very natural and organic evolution into wanting to launch my own products that I was dreaming of and wish existed in the world.
I launched the business six weeks before Covid and lockdown, so the last three years have been an absolutely wild journey of being a business owner. The playbook on absolutely everything has changed, so everyday is a new opportunity to wake up and navigate the new world we’re in. With that, it thickened my skin, taught me resilience, and made me a strong and kind leader. This experience of growing my all female team has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. I’m so excited for what’s ahead.
WHAT DOES COMMUNITY MEAN TO YOU?
Community is at the heart of everything we do at Crown Affair. It’s why I started working on making better quality products—for my community. The saying of, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,” couldn’t ring more true to our ethos. We’re building this with a larger community for a bigger purpose—and that starts with our team. I’m so proud to have an all-female team of 15 that lives mostly between NYC and LA. Our office is in NY, and we’re a hybrid work culture. It’s important to me that everyone has balance and a sense of purpose for the work they do. We can’t tell people to take their time if we’re not taking our time, too.
WHY “CROWN AFFAIR”?
The name is originally a reference to the 1999 version of the film The Thomas Crown Affair. In the final scene of the art heist, they chase down Pierce Brosnan's character to sound of Nina Simone’s Simmerman with dozens of people dressed in suits and bowler hats, which is a reference to Rene Magritte’s The Son of Man (1964), the painting from the film. I actually meet my fiance at MoMA’s 2013 Rene Magritte exhibition, and we met in front of that same painting from the movie. Magritte has a dear place in my heart, and there are nods to surrealism hidden throughout the brand.
More explicitly, Crown Affair symbolizes a celebration of the crown of your head and all that surrounds it. It's about having a love affair with your crown or your hair. Separately, I remember being in a pilates class and the instructor giving direction to “lift through your crown.” At that moment, in an instant, everyone in the room stood up taller with more grace and self-assurance. The crown is a powerful place to source alignment and power.
WHAT MAKES YOUR FEEL SUPPORTED FROM THE GROUND UP?
I feel most supported from the ground up when I take time for myself and my personal rituals. How I start my morning—with journaling, stretching and meditation, sets the tone for my day. In the evening I really enjoy taking time to wind down with a bath, a good stretch, maybe a book and a candle. Those are the moments I need to recharge. My husband is also the ground that supports me. He’s my rock.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?
There are so many exciting things happening in the Crown Affair universe. We’re launching a dream product this summer that’s all about connecting with and restoring your hair at the roots. I’m also excited for new colors of our tools and a fun holiday collaboration!
MANTRA?
Take your time.
HOW TO SPEND TIME OUTSIDE OF WORK?
My favorite thing is spending time with my husband and our friends. We’re all about saying ‘yes’ to experiences and being present. We’ll take the surprise trip, stay the extra hour at the party, be there ‘till the sun starts to come up—as long as I have time to recharge after, then I come back to work full of inspiration and energy to build.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?
Continuing to build and grow the Crown Affair–both directly with our customers and community and our global retailers. It’s a marathon.
HAIRCUT FREQUENCY?
Every 3 months.
NATURAL OR BLOW DRY?
Air dry with my twist and clip technique!
PRODUCT YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT?
The Leave In Conditioner
TRAVEL ESSENTIAL?
Dry Shampoo. I can go over a week without washing my hair because of this holy grail product!
HAIR INDULGENCE TO INVEST IN?
A great scalp scrub and hair mask. The Renewal Mask will bring your strands back to life.
HAIRCARE TREND YOU WANT TO TRY?
I’ve been dreaming of going red since I was a teenager. My natural color is a bit too dark for the red to take without bleaching it first, so I’ll probably never do it—hair health comes first.
FAVORITE SELF-CARE INDULGENCE?
Massages.
GO-TO SPA?
The Tierra Santa Healing House at Faena is stunning.
SELF-CARE SECRET?
Prioritize sleep. Drink a lot of water. Be kind to yourself in your head.