Good People: Ara Katz

By Crown Affair

Meet Ara Katz, co-founder + co-CEO of Seed Health, and one of the most inspiring people in our universe. Ara thinks about the world in a different way than most. One of her superpowers is her ability to tell stories that connect us all. The ones that make us realize we're all superorganisms moving through space, together. We spent a beautiful day with her and her family in Malibu, California chatting all things life, daily rituals, and our favorite topic: hair. As the sun set that afternoon, a deeply personal experience occurred, one that brought us together in the present moment, and reminded us what it looks like when humans come together to help.

Shot by Ben Biondo

- What's your morning routine?

I'm up between 5AM and 6AM every morning. I have a 4 year old alarm named Pax :) I'll get dressed and out the door on a morning adventure or walk with Pax between 6:30am - 7:15am.

Matcha.

Some days take Pax to school some days walk to office by 7:30 - 7:45am and make east coast / Europe calls or listen to a book en route.

- Where did you grow up and where do you live now?

I grew up in New York and now live in Venice, California.

- How do you describe yourself?

50% human. 100% superorganism.

- What does ritual mean to you? If you have any, can you share a few?

Ritual is the meaning imbued on habits to derive meaning from their repetition.

Mine are—

Breathing.

Yoga.

Morning walk with my son, Pax.

"Ritual is the meaning imbued on habits to derive meaning from their repetition."

- Where do you get or find inspiration?

In the crevices and the in-between.

- Who do you get your hair from?

My mom. Watching the Crown Affair launch unfold, it made me think about my mom (who I thank for my hair and miss deeply), the aesthetic of moments I revisited through the lens of my strands, and these photographs. Shortly after shooting, I was throwing rocks with Pax into the ocean. Three rocks in, all of my mom’s stacked rings I’ve worn since I was 17 clinked and clanked down the boulders in front of me (incidentally, this was the exact place where I got married). Everyone there that day got together and went looking for the needles in the haystack. I remember being so struck by what it looks like when humans come together to help someone, especially for something I found trivial and they found meaningful. I also remember being so touched that they seemed to be looking even harder than I was. Inside, I had already resolved they were gone—simple artifacts, but not where the real beats. My mind raced to create meaning of this experiment and almost ready to give up amongst talk of metal detectors, Ben found the only band I actually wanted to keep. We all stood in a circle, took a moment and the day went on, experiment concluded. And every time I go to this beach, I think this day, that those rings are still in those boulders and that brands are really just the artifacts of our experiences.

- How does your hair make you feel?

Creative.

- Any major hair moments or memories in your life?

Dianna Cohen used to call me a mermaid. :)

- What's your current hair routine?

I wash once a week, twice sometimes. I don’t own a hair dryer and I only use Under Luna shampoo and conditioner. And now I use the Crown Affair Comb No.001 throughout the day, too.