After having gone through a few transformative experiences in her life, Francine founded Efrin as a means to heal from her past and build a legacy for her daughter’s future.

Efrin is a lifestyle e-commerce business that aspires to be a force for good by creating products that carry the stories of brave women who transformed tragedy into healing and who have come together to change the world by giving back to good causes around the world.

I helped translate this powerful mission into a brand that reflected the many facets of Francine’s ambition not only to sell handmade products but also to empower a community to give back for good.

Services:

Strategy
Logo Design
Web Design

The Process

I start every project by inquiring into my client’s values, beliefs and life experiences.

Step 1: Present—what is the current story you tell about yourself? Self-awareness begins with a diagnosis of your current state of mind.
Step 2: Future—what is your story of the future you want to inhabit? Define your vision and your aspirational self.
Step 3: Past—how did your story of the past shape you? Reflect on a journey into your past to uncover the values, beliefs and experiences that have shaped you into the person you are today.
Step 4: Your authentic self—Translate all the insights you have gathered from the previous steps into storytelling that aligns with your aspirational self.

Francine’s Story

“I lost my mother on April 1, 2019, and my husband on April 15, 2019. Two loved ones who made me the woman I am today. The person who gave me my breath of life and the person who gave me my future flew away like a candle flame extinguished by a simple gust of wind. The year 2019 will forever stay synonymous with a tsunami of emotions—a dark, painful year filled with sadness...”

— Francine, Founder of Efrin

I was in shock, disoriented, angry with them and myself because a part of me no longer existed. Questions kept running through my mind: Who will I become? How am I going to cope with this situation with two teenage girls? What will become of my daughters if death comes to seek me one day? I felt guilty, and my heart was broken, no longer vibrating, empty of light and warmth.
WHEN WILL I FEEL BETTER?
Fortunately, I met Yulia. I will never forget the two sentences she told me during our first session: The way you feel determines your results, and the happiness hormone will be created when you are happy. This meant that if I wanted things to change, I had to change: the best key to my future is ME. So I had to work hard on myself and accept the situation, which was the most challenging exercise in my life. It's not what happens that determines the future of my life because what happened to me can happen to anyone.
“If I want my life to change, I have to change. The key to my future is me.”
At that moment, I decided to start sewing my mother's African fabrics to give them a new life by making tote bags and scrunchies and then selling them. Seeing these beautiful colours and designs gave me a feeling of connectedness with my mother and my roots. It also triggered a sense of well-being, peace, serenity, positivity, warmth and joy.
It pushed me to want to do more for society, something that I lacked to be able to re-ignite my heartbeat with a zest for life, a smile to life, a light inside, happiness and hope.
Through this project, I want to reach all the women who encountered a tsunami on their life path and allow them to find this lever that will move them forward. I want to illuminate their interior and their soul with unique African cushions rich in powerful colours that will bring them strength, courage, warmth and joy.

Drawing Inspiration from African Wax Fabrics

Logo Design

In memory of Francine’s mother and husband:

e= first letter of husband's first name "Erwin"

F = "Francine"

R = mother "Rose"

I = eldest daughter "Iman"

N = youngest daughter "Naomi"

How Can an e-commerce Business Become a Force for Good?

Brand activism is rooted in a clearly defined purpose. The challenge was understanding where Francine was coming from and using her experience (backstory) as an inspiration for others to follow in her footsteps by joining a community. Building on her African roots and generous personality, we tried to create a brand that would stand out by embodying hope instead of tragedy. I used warm colours, vibrant African patterns and positive messaging strategies to capture the hearts of Efrin’s audience. This collaboration allowed Francine to show up more confident in front of potential clients, helped her reach the people that shared her values, and even establish connections with charities in Africa who invited her to experience the growing need for philanthropy in their countries.