PEABODY — Self-love is at the heart of Charlene Pena’s growing curl care startup.
Her “Afrona” headwrap, which debuted online in 2019 and has now gone viral, has racked up millions of views on TikTok. The satin-lined adjustable headwrap is designed to protect the shape of your curls while you sleep or act as a curl-friendly hat while you’re out and about, and is made in Pena’s hometown of Peabody. I am.
Her company, Woven Royal, sells hundreds of Afronas each month. It’s all made at her headquarters at Mills 58 on Pulaski Street, in a bright pink studio decorated with inspirational phrases like “Stand Your Crown.”
Pena created this product after struggling to care for her curly hair. Having to re-style her curls every morning was frustrating, and although she loved her voluminous hair, it could sometimes be a “burden”.
“I’ve had really good reactions from other curly-haired people,” she said. “(Afrona) has made their lives so much easier and they are able to love their curls again.”
She used Afrona to win the $10,000 first prize in the 2019 North of Boston Business Plan Competition. Since then, she has patented the product design and now has several employees.
Woven Royal recently released an anniversary edition of the Aphrona, which has a silk lining instead of satin. Pena is also working on waterproof Afrona, expanding the line to include designs for infants and children.
Her product videos on TikTok and YouTube have received millions of likes and views, with the top video receiving over 13 million views.
People often comment on their own curly hair journeys in these videos and highlight how Afrona has helped their uploads.
“It’s great to get so much attention and so much feedback,” Pena said of her social media presence. “Just learning so much about people and their own experiences can be overwhelming sometimes because there are so many people and so many comments.”
Afrona helps protect any curly head, but it was designed with women in mind.
“This is about making women, especially women, feel empowered to be themselves and be who they are,” Pena said. “That was always my mission.”
Woven Royal gave Pena the strength to pursue his dream of becoming an entrepreneur. Pena, a Peabody native and 2010 graduate of Peabody Veterans Memorial High School, aims to make her products a staple in curly hair care.
A photo of Sarah Blakely hangs above Pena’s desk, keeping her motivated. Blakely, like Pena, went from humble beginnings to creating one of the fashion world’s most recognizable brands, the shapewear brand Spanx.
“I tell myself if she can do it, I can do it too,” she said.
Pena plans to sell her Afrona at the Curl Friends Gathering event in Boston on May 18th and the Curl Bar Block Party in Somerville on May 26th. Pena is also sold at Kara Renee Salon in Beverly, where she currently lives, and online at: www.wovenroyal.com.
Contact Caroline Enos at CEnos@northofboston.com.
