Today we’d like to introduce you to Markus (13) & Nikolas Fernandez (16).
Hi Markus & Nikolas, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Markus: Believe it or not, Classical Waves has been about three years in the making. I love being outdoors, fishing, and fashion so I wanted to create something I knew people like myself would want to wear no matter their age.
Nikolas: I’m part of the Boys Varsity Rowing Team at Belen Jesuit so I’m always out on the water training and competing. I also love fishing and spend a lot of time out on the boat with my family. Markus even started the first ever Fishing Club in the school’s 170-year history last year so he has this entrepreneurial spirit that I’ve alway admired. We’ve always been really close and wanted to do something together, so starting Classical Waves just came naturally to us.
Markus: Our dad works in finance and he introduced us to the idea of a “classical wave” a while ago. It’s a math equation that describes waves in one dimension that move at a constant velocity. That name has always stuck with us because we like math too and we decided to add in Miami because it’s such a big part of who we are.
Nikolas: Once we had the branding, Markus and I started researching the best materials for being outdoors and in the sun, how to get our products made, how to market them best and then deliver them to customers. We’ve learned a lot along the way. It’s a lot of work, but we’re having so much fun.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Markus: In the beginning, when we were first concepting the logo, we went through six different rounds before landing on the final version. This logo means a lot to us because it represents the two of us moving forward in life together.
Nikolas: On the manufacturing side of things, we are very hands on and we have high expectations for what we want to provide our customers. It’s been a learning process, there’s always a little trial and error when it comes to starting a business, so we’ve definitely dealt with issues like errors in printing and design flaws in the past.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Markus: We’re new to the entrepreneurial world and wanted to dip our toes in the fashion and fishing industry because it’s what we love. Our brand is very “Miami” so you see that in our color palette with the different shades of blues and greens inspired by the ocean and the gray and whites inspired by the city life. We also thought about life in Miami and how versatility is so important. All of our items are designed to take you from day to night because they are classic styles that can be dressed up or down.
Nikolas: We’re very inspired by classic menswear that’s casual, yet fun. Comfort is really important so our shirts are made of high quality materials that are super lightweight and soft. You never want to take them off!
How do you think about luck?
Nikolas: We feel lucky to have had such a fantastic team supporting us through our journey as young entrepreneurs. From the design of the logo to the launch of the website and social media campaigns, they have been instrumental in making sure everything runs smoothly and efficiently.
Markus: We’re also lucky to have supportive parents who not only listen to our ideas, but help us pursue our dreams.
Pricing:
- Performance Fishing Shirt $47.99
- Everyday Long-Sleeve Shirt $42.99
- Everyday Short-Sleeve Shirt $36.99
Contact Info:
- Website: https://classicalwaves.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/classicalwaves/
