While I do consider myself a book lover, I will admit that I had little to no interest in most of the classics I was forced to read for school. There are, however, pieces of them I carry with me to this day. One such case is Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. In the final scene, Pip is reunited with his childhood infatuation, Estella, in the ruins of the very place he first fell for her. Satis House is a mere graveyard of memories, bad and good alike, but hope shines through in the growing ivy.* Estella parallels this directly. In the aftermath of an abusive marriage, she is in ruins herself, yet her suffering was not fruitless. Her heart is softened and her soul humbled, allowing her to see the world with new eyes. She and Pip reconcile, alluding to a fresh start for the both of them.

​ The name of my brand is a reference to Estella's words in that final scene, which has since been one of my favorite quotes: “Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape.” With the contextual significance previously given, it's clear this is an acknowledgment that suffering transforms us and, as unreasonable as the initial misfortune may be, sometimes we come out the other side a better person.

*The vines in my logo are a nod to the symbolic presence of ivy growing in the ruins of the Satis House, mentioned during the scene from which the quote is taken.