Variety Act Miami #22: Meet Dianna Cohen, Founder & CEO of Crown Affair.
Champion of intentional haircare and hair rituals, brand connoisseur, and well-tressed cosmopolitan.
Welcome to Variety Act Miami! I’m your compère, Natalie Guevara.
I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling (issue number) 22. Last issue, we had the pleasure of getting to know Valentina Hernández Botero and learning about how she approaches curating the top-shelf brands available at her popular skin studio, Sana. You can count Crown Affair, the acclaimed haircare collection of gorgeously designed tools and clean formulas, among those winning brands.
I first came across Crown Affair while living in New York a couple of years back. They were soft-launching their first products at the time, and it was initially their thoughtful branding—clean, elusive, but undeniably inviting—that grabbed my attention. When I moved to Miami later that year, I was giddy to add two of Crown Affair’s hero products, The Towel and The Oil, to my getting-ready ritual. I have very thick, unpredictable wavy hair, made even flightier by the Miami heat and humidity. I found that these products made air drying my hair something to look forward to rather than fear. It also needs to be said that The Oil—with its notes of Italian bergamot, yuzu, lemongrass, and wood—smells so fantastic, I frequently dab it on as a subtle perfume. It always generates compliments.
Fittingly enough, Crown Affair’s founder and CEO, Dianna Cohen, is a Florida girl who moved to New York, built her career working at and consulting for some of the best digital content and DTC brands in the game (we all know them: Into The Gloss; Tamara Mellon; Outdoor Voices; Away; Flamingo), founded Crown Affair, and recently moved to Miami to write the brand’s next chapter nationally and globally.
It’s an exciting time for Crown Affair—just earlier this month, they added The Leave-In Conditioner to their murderers’ row of products—and an exciting time for Miami-based founders. Dianna joins Sana’s Valentina Hernández Botero, éliou’s Duda Teixeira and Cristina Mantilla, Simonett’s Simonett Pereira, Vital Tonics’s Natalie Bustamente, Calma Floral’s Elizabeth Jaime, Mano’s Monique Magnaye, and more brilliant minds in reshaping Miami’s entrepreneurial community.
Join me in hearing more from Dianna about her haircare approach and philosophy, her love of rituals, her inspirations, and—naturally!—her Magic City favorites.
MEET DIANNA COHEN, FOUNDER & CEO OF CROWN AFFAIR.
On the creatives and storytellers who shaped her imagination growing up:
I’m a huge Jim Henson fan; I grew up on The Muppets and Fraggle Rock, and The Dark Crystal was my favorite film as a child. His humor and aesthetic sensibilities bring me absolute joy. I’m also a big Hayao Miyazaki fan and loved Kiki’s Delivery Service growing up, too. He’s one of the masters of our time—no one executes a sense of place and tells human stories like Miyazaki.
The worlds and storytelling of Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein, and J.R.R. Tolkien deeply inspire me, also. I was a big Lord of the Rings kid in middle school.
As I got older, the work of Wes Anderson and Paul Thomas Anderson informed my sensibilities in high school. Comedy has also deeply informed my tone—Danny McBride, Will Ferrell, and Amy Poehler make me laugh like few people do.
On the moods and senses that transport her back to the early days of ideating Crown Affair:
Our signature Crown Affair scent of Italian bergamot, yuzu, and lemongrass, with underlying notes of amber and wood, bring me right back to those early days of building the business. The color of our Crown Affair green and our orange transport me into the mood of our signature scent. Those two colors are pulled from two Ed Ruscha works I printed out and hung up on my wall during our early ideation days.
On her strong inclination towards ritualizing, visualization, and dreaming, and how she taps into those practices to power through the more mundane and challenging moments of running a business:
I talk with my team all the time about embodying the work that we do and living our core principle: Take your time. Slowing down and finding time to rest and recharge is what powers those challenging moments when you need to grind it out. Once you unlock the power of slowing down to speed up, you find your pace and balance of startup-mode with long-term vision.
To me, thoughtful actions are more powerful than reacting—even during a global pandemic and a supply chain crisis. I also genuinely love the work that I do and the community and customers I do it for. They make any late nights or tough days easy to get through and help me keep perspective. Always be connected to your why.
On revising her rituals as she evolves as a person:
I have consistent rituals when it comes to beauty, stretching, and journaling, and those do evolve over time. I find that when I think I don’t need to be consistent with something, that moment is exactly when I discover something deeper within myself. When I first started journaling, I aimed to write every day in the morning for 30 minutes, but I’ve let go of the pressure of having to do it daily. I’ll use it as a tool a few times a week when I need to get back into flow. I’ve found that seeing it as a tool versus a to-do has been transformational. I feel that across every ritual in my life.
On relocating to Miami and how Florida’s signature humidity informs Crown Affair:
As a Florida native, I’m super mindful of how my hair responds to the humidity and the water quality in Miami. Understanding my hair has always been about learning what levels of hydration and moisture enhance my natural texture and make my hair feel the most me. Florida humidity takes time to figure out, but The Leave-In Conditioner has changed my air-dry game here for the better.
On Miami’s creative and entrepreneurial renaissance, and on what’s unique to growing Crown Affair in Miami compared to other cities where she’s lived and worked:
There are so many incredible founders from Miami who have been laying the groundwork for years to make this city really special. I feel grateful to be part of building something exciting down here in the state I’m originally from. There’s an energy in Miami that’s unlike any other city—there’s an ease of life here. That has its pros and cons, too, but I’m enjoying this energy right now and am grateful to have this as my home base as we build Crown Affair nationally and globally over time.
On the big swings she encourages more DTC brands to take moving forward:
I really value brands with an authentic point of view and products that are thoughtful and differentiated. There’s so much in the world—the world doesn’t need more of the same formulas in different packaging. We need mindful product creation with intention behind every touch point: packaging design, launch storytelling, formula innovation and effectiveness. Fewer, better things is what we can all shift towards, and I welcome brands to embrace a unique point of view with a perspective of intentionality. Also, a founding team who deeply believes in what they’re building—you feel that difference as a customer.
On her cultural diet:
I’ve been finding more time to read this year and choosing reading over other forms of entertainment in the evening. I recently read The Overstory by Richard Powers. It's a book that parallels the story of our human lives with those of trees. It’s absolute magic in every sentence; it leaves you with a sense of awe for the world around and underneath us.
I also recently finished Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones. I found myself sobbing at the end of the book when they described his passing and his memorial service. The world of joy and humor and compassion that he created had an impact on many lives; it’s inspiring.
I’m currently reading Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker, PhD. I have so many waking rituals I deeply care for; I’m excited to dive into the universe of sleep. Since I started reading it this last week, I’ve already found that my sleep habits have shifted. Five nights of eight-hour sleep in a row is a borderline miracle for me and I want to celebrate it!
I also really enjoy podcasts: Armchair Expert, SmartLess, The Tim Ferriss Show, Poetry Unbound, and On Being with Krista Tippett are my current favorites in rotation.
I also really enjoy TV shows: Succession and The Righteous Gemstones are two of my favorites right now.
On what she’s up to at 11 am on a Tuesday:
I wake up and work out two mornings a week, so by Tuesday at 10:30 am, I’ll have just washed my hair, and I’ll complete my full post-wash ritual: The Comb No. 002, The Towel for 30 minutes, The Oil, The Leave-In Conditioner, and then air dry.
By 11 am, I’m at my desk and working through key Asana deliverables for the day and prioritizing emails from vendors, investors, partners, and so on. I’ll also prep anything for our daily team stand-up at noon.
On where we’d find her at 5 pm on a Sunday:
I’m in the steam room in my building or reading on my terrace next to my husband.
DIANNA’S MIAMI FAVORITES.
Miami anthem (current or classic!): When I first moved here, I was listening to “Wonderwall” by TEEMID with the windows down. A lot. So it reminds me of escaping to sunshine and breezy, warm Miami days.
Miami movie: I’m somewhere between Moonlight and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
Cultural centers, art shops, performing arts spaces, & bookstores: There are truly too many to name, but The Bass, ICA, The Pérez Art Museum, and the Rubell Museum are go-to spots down here. I always keep an ear out for new shows and exhibitions in less institutional spaces. The Cultivist always keeps me in the know, in Miami and globally.
Restaurants & bars:
Sunny’s at Lot 6: I hosted my birthday dinner here last year—the vibe and the music are perfect, and the food is just simple and delicious. Order extra Parker House rolls with honey butter.
Boia De: Best meal in Miami. Chef Alex Meyer is a gem.
La Natural: The chef and owner here is also magic. The pizza and natural wine pairings make for the perfect evening.
Carbone: I know, but it’s the best Gibson martini in town. They make the cocktail onions in-house and soak them in rosemary. It’s my favorite.
Lung Yai: An incredible casual Thai spot. Go hungry.
Dante’s HiFi: Japanese-style vinyl listening bar. I say no more.
Cafés, diners, bakeries, & ventanitas: Zak the Baker. SunLife Organics. Azúcar Ice Cream Company. Taquiza (the tacos and totopos are the best).
The Great Outdoors: I live off of Margaret Pace Park in Edgewater, so I try to walk there a few times a week. I need to adventure to more parks (suggestions welcome!), otherwise you’ll find me at the Beach—either North Beach near 69th Street or at Soho Beach House on the weekends.
Spas & wellness: The Tierra Santa Healing House at the Faena.
Miami-based performer, artist, or creative: I’m not sure I have a favorite yet! I’m still discovering so much of this city and I’m excited to dive into more of the art community here this year.
Miami hidden gem: Doce Provisions, a hidden gem in Little Havana. Super casual spot. Sit outside and order the Hungry Cuban sandwich, which comes with croquetas inside. But go for lunch because it’ll be sold out by the evening.
The recommendation you’ll always give to a first-time Miami visitor: The Beach side is iconic and has so many classic spots, but there’s so much goodness on the non-Beach side, too. There’s an energy over here that feels like East L.A. right now.
That said, nothing beats an early beach day and walking along the beach, followed by a casual lunch at Taquiza (order the totopos). Spend an afternoon by a pool and have drinks at the Faena or at The EDITION, then come across the Causeway for dinner at Boia De and late-night dancing at Dante’s HiFi!
THANKS, DIANNA!
Keep up with Dianna’s excellent tastes and Miami discoveries at @diannacohen. Shop and follow @crownaffair for thoughtful, gorgeously produced products and clean formulas honoring intentional haircare and hair rituals.
Until we meet again, un beso!