Can the origins of FERN—the Malaysian design house and batik-focused luxury resortwear label—be described as serendipitous? To founder and creative director Fern Chua, things might not have seemed that way back in 2000, when a car accident resulted in two tendons and the median nerve in her left wrist being sliced through, gravely limiting her hand’s mobility.
Chua took up sewing as part of her physical rehabilitation programme, and—combined with a pre-existing penchant for collecting dresses—uncovered a hidden talent for fashion design. “I remember that moment when I couldn’t even sew properly and Jenny, the lovely lady who taught me, said, ‘Take your time—I can see you’re going to make it one day’,” the Johorean designer, who initially studied mass communications and public relations, recalls. “She saw the potential in me, even when I couldn’t believe it myself.”
It was batik—an ancient dyeing technique utilising drawn or stamped wax resist designs—that ignited Chua’s determination to set up her eponymous brand. “I knew from the very beginning that I needed a unique selling point to identify myself as a fashion designer,” she says. “Batik spoke to me in a way that I didn’t think was possible. It led me to discover what I could really achieve, and to challenge people’s expectations of an art form like batik.”
In the earliest years of FERN, Malaysian batik was largely viewed as a heritage artform belonging to older generations of wearers and artisans, with very few footholds in the realm of contemporary fashion. Undeterred, Chua collaborated with Kelantanese artisanal batik brand Ruzzgahara on a clothing collection that fused their fabrics with her designs, before taking the next step of creating her own batik. “I visited Institut Kraf Negara (Malaysia’s National Craft Institute) to counsel some batik makers and use their workshop spaces,” Chua says.
“It was a process: learning from different artisans, experimenting with all sorts of patterns, colour tones, and textures. That grew into my very first collection—Kiso in Winter—with marbling techniques inspired by my first experience of snow blizzards during New Year’s Eve in Japan.” A decade later, FERN has grown from a one-woman team to a design house of 15 artisans, going on to produce as many as 26 collections inspired by themes as diverse as Moroccan architecture, Monstera deliciosa leaves, and the coral reefs of the Perhentian Islands.
The label’s flagship boutique, FERN Batik + Artisanal Collective, opened in Bangsar Village 2 in 2019 and now offers four ready-to-wear collections each year, alongside bespoke atelier services. In-the-know Malaysians and international visitors of all ages make repeat visits for FERN’s hand-crafted batik fabrics and beautifully tailored modern silhouettes, which range from ever-popular boxy dresses and kaftans, to festive cheongsams and baju kurungs.
“Rather than expecting people to wear what I create, I listen to what they want—and as a woman, I know it’s hard to find the right cut, size and colour,” Chua acknowledges. “It gives me a lot of joy when I’m able to create one-of-a-kind pieces and people appreciate what I’ve done. You see your achievements when people actually enjoy the clothes they wear—and that’s what I’ve always aimed for.”
What was the hardest part of setting up FERN?
The batik industry is very niche, and finding the right people to work with—artisans, seamstresses and pattern makers who match your synergy and understand what you’re trying to achieve or create—can be really tough. It took me two years to build a team who could make things work.
What does it take to make a fashion brand survive and thrive for 10 years?
Understanding your unique selling point and target market thoroughly.
Do more Malaysians support the local batik industry now?
When I first started FERN, I wasn’t sure how many people would appreciate my batik clothes. More and more locals have realised that they need to support homegrown brands, and people are now more knowledgeable about what it takes to make batik. They’re also moving away from mass-produced fashion—it drives them towards wanting something refined and original.
What has been the most valuable lesson you’ve learnt?
Always trust your instincts. There are so many voices and opinions on how things should be but, over the years, I’ve stuck to my own beliefs.
What’s your favourite smell?
Freshly fallen rain.
What are your fondest memories of running FERN?
I often think of my team—their creative spirit makes experimental work so much fun. The launch of our flagship store was definitely a remarkable milestone for us, along with the 10-year anniversary milestone event we recently held. Clients who’ve supported us from the very beginning until today were there, and we’re so grateful for that.
What is the best advice you’ve received that changed your life?
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Where do you do your best work?
I need to be locked up in an empty space with four walls, so I can’t run away and am forced to focus!
If you could learn a new skill, what would it be?
Ceramics as a hand skill and investment as a life skill.
Where in the world would you like to travel?
Turkey and Peru.
What do you like to cook?
This is the hardest question of all! Everything.
Which other designer do you most admire?
Diane von Furstenberg. By understanding women’s bodies and what it takes to be a woman, she focused on her target market and single-handedly built up her business empire over five decades.
Do you have any upcoming design collaborations?
We’re in the process of working on projects with two international luxury hospitality brands, and are collaborating with Vestio Bespoke tailor to release a capsule menswear collection soon.
To be successful in the fashion industry, you have to…
Be willing to adapt.
Photography: Anna Rina
Photography location: FERN Batik + Artisanal Collective boutique in Bangsar Village 2
