BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Waeve, a new lifestyle brand that is on a mission to bring Black girls joy by turning wigs into a form of self-expression, today launches nationwide online. Founded by three Black women, Mary Imevbore (CEO), Susana Hawken (Head of Product), and Tiiso McGinty (Head of Brand and Community), Waeve was born to fill a gap in the beauty industry that has long overlooked and undervalued Black consumers.
For decades, Black women have faced the issue of underrepresentation in retail and beauty spaces. With the Black hair care industry raking in more than $2.5 billion annually, Waeve is breaking into the industry with wigs created by Black women that fulfill their needs. Imevbore concepted the idea after her personal experiences with hair as a Black woman living in a rural college town. It was there that she found herself with a limited selection of hair salons and few options for protective styles to better fit her busy schedule.
“When I was going through my natural hair journey, I discovered wigs and realized that there weren’t any brands that spoke to me as a customer. Numerous nameless vendors, wildly disparate prices and stock photos of the same Black women on every site, made it a struggle to have a seamless and fun shopping experience,” said Mary Imevbore, co-founder and CEO of Waeve. “When we created Waeve, we kept in mind that each woman has a unique relationship and journey with her own hair. As a result, we created a quality product that Black women want and need, with an easy-to-navigate experience and uncomplicated return policy.”
Waeve debuts with a fashion-forward approach to wig consumption by introducing seasonal drop-style launches. The first drop is called “Days of the Week'' and will introduce three 100% human hair wigs and three 100% synthetic hair wigs - each named after a day of the week so you can change your look with ease. Sunday is purposely left out to symbolize that you don't need to wear a wig every day and for customers to embrace their natural hair and wigs as a convenient protective style. Each wig comes with a kit complete with all the tools you need to get started. Waeve’s website hosts how-to educational tutorials and plenty of user-generated content to give customers everything they need to look and feel great in their wig. With a variety of affordable prices, Waeve offers wigs from $72-$398 (synthetic wigs are on the lower end with human hair wigs on the higher end), which is a more balanced price range and allows for flexibility when it comes to purchasing an every day or special occasion wig.
The company also announced a $2 million seed funding round that is a landmark moment for Black women in business. For the first time ever, three young Black women under the age of 25 have independently secured $2 million for a business that specifically caters to Black consumers. This is especially significant given the $6 billion market for wigs and weaves. The round was led by Pillar VC with participation from Maveron, Henry Davis (former COO of Glossier), Bryan Mahoney (former CTO of Glossier), Ali Weiss (Chief Marketing Officer of Glossier), TJ Parker (Co-founder & CEO of PillPack), and Elliot Cohen (Co-founder of PillPack), among others.
“When I met Mary and her co-founders and heard their vision for the Black hair care industry, it was clear that they were creating a company that would be transformative,” said Sarah Hodges, Partner at Pillar VC. “Waeve is making wigs more accessible, wearable, and fashionable by building a community and brand that will change the way the world views wigs.”
Waeve’s motto of “Feel Good Hair” is not only a reclamation of agency in beauty, but a manifesto dedicated to looking good, feeling good and doing good. As part of its ongoing commitment to “Feel Good Hair,” Waeve donates 2% of its revenue to a different cause each drop. Whether it’s impacting social justice or expanding access to education, career and/or economic opportunities, Waeve is committed to uplifting Black girls and advocating for their success in every way possible.
You can find Waeve online at thewaeve.com and on Instagram @thewaeve.
About Waeve:
Waeve is the new wig destination that’s helping Black girls reclaim their agency in the beauty industry. Waeve offers trend-forward, ready-to-wear real and synthetic wigs at affordable prices that allow customers to change up their hair as often as they change their clothes. With a simple online purchasing experience and complementary Wig Starter Kit, Waeve empowers Black women, inclusive of all Black femmes, to express their current-moment self and reclaim their time so they can focus on what’s most important in their lives. Waeve was founded in 2018 by three Black women, Mary Imevbore, Susana Hawken, and Tiiso McGinty, who want others to consume wigs in a way that sparks joy and to embrace “Feel Good Hair,” a manifesto dedicated to looking good, feeling good and doing good. To further uplift Black girls, Waeve commits two percent of its revenue to a different cause for each drop. Visit thewaeve.com for more information.