Meet Fern Clausius

We were lucky to catch up with Fern Clausius recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Fern, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

My resilience is my strongest trait. This comes from my grandfather, Richard Fern. He was a man that never stopped trying, never gave up. Despite challenges in his career, with his family, or with his health, he refused to waver. He fought cancer seven times. Watching him fight for the majority of his life, instilled this incredible trait in me. I do what I do, for him.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

Early on, I discovered my purpose: to preserve the beautiful and exclusive world of fashion I had always admired growing up in the Midwest. My early French studies and travels deepened that admiration. Through my collections, I aimed to inspire others to express their individuality and creativity through couture apparel.

As a young ballet dancer, I dreamed of moving to New York City and eventually Paris. That dream took shape when I entered the world of fashion by enrolling in the Fashion Institute of Technology’s (FIT) design program. Specializing in Couture Intimate Apparel opened a whole new realm of design for me. Lingerie, in particular, became a powerful tool that helped me explore my sexual identity. I envisioned creating pieces that could help others embrace theirs as well.

With limited opportunities for top-tier luxury fashion in New York, I saw an opening to introduce “slow fashion” to America, rooted in French couture and high-quality production methods. My background in sustainability made it crucial for me to work with companies that were both ethically and environmentally responsible. After being furloughed during the pandemic and quarantining at my childhood home, I decided to take what I had learned from designing for Kiki de Montparnasse and working on Saks Fifth Avenue’s editorial team and strike out on my own. In November 2020, I launched my website and released my first official capsule collection of lingerie made from deadstock silks and laces.

I founded FERN New York as a couture lingerie and eveningwear maison, designed to bring French-inspired boudoirs to women, men, and nonbinary audiences. Lingerie played a significant role in my personal journey as a bisexual woman, allowing me to connect with my sexuality and learn to love my body. It deepened my relationship with myself. Recognizing the power this intimate clothing had in shaping one’s identity, I made it my mission to help others harness that power through FERN.

After two years of custom work, I launched my first demi-couture collection and hosted my debut runway show for NYFW on February 6, 2024. The collection featured lingerie and ready-to-wear pieces, all produced locally in Manhattan with the finest silks and French laces.

Planning my first show was a monumental task with immense pressure, as it was something I had dreamed of for so long. Growing up as a dancer, pianist, and violinist, it was essential for me to create a multi-disciplinary tribute to the arts alongside my fashions. The show featured an original choreographed performance by soloist Georgina Pazcoguin (the Rogue Ballerina and former NYC Ballet soloist), singer Marcy Richardson (esteemed nightlife performer, Opera Gaga), my mother, Heidi Clausius, on piano, and Helen Vassiliou on violin. It was a transformative night, watching my collection come to life with the support of an incredible team. Seeing my pieces worn by models who were dancers, entrepreneurs, and designers themselves was pure magic.

Since the show, I’ve continued creating custom pieces alongside selling my runway collection. I’m excited to announce the upcoming release of a new line of bustiers and kimonos—absolute essentials for anyone looking to elevate their boudoir wardrobe.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

It’s tough to choose three, but if I had to, it would be 1.) Patience, 2.) Networking, and 3.) Commitment. Without any of these skills, there is no big career. There is no big moment. Without patience, I’d easily become frustrated and bored and give up. It always looks like people make it overnight, but the more you study people and their journeys, the more you realize many of them spend a decade paving the way for them to get to the place that you are now admiring them from.

Without networking, you can’t get anywhere. Getting outside of yourself and meeting others, putting yourself out there even when it’s super uncomfortable — it’s what you have to do, if you want to make your dream happen. People need to know about you and your mission, and you need other people to get things done. It takes community. It takes resources to pull anything together. You cannot possibly do everything yourself, as skilled as you may be (trust me, I’ve tried).

Commitment pairs perfectly with patience. You have to be in it for the long haul, giving every minute of every ounce of energy to your goal. Many people waver and they feel the road is too long or too hard. Commit to being in the trenches and battling it out, because you’ll end up so much further after the war.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

The book The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand has played a valuable role in my life, encouraging my steadfast commitment and determination toward my dream. In the story, Howard Roark, a genius architect, is constantly feeling ousted from a society that does not yet understand his art. Yet, he is committed. When he has no money, he is committed. When projects are offered to him that would cause him to cave on his design values and morals, he follows his virtues, not the money. He has to struggle in order to develop his conviction. He stays true while he watches everyone else cave to society’s call. Throughout the story you see it, it remains strong the entire time. Though in Rand’s idealistic, philosophical world, Roark is an inspiring character and entrepreneur. His life and ability to include love, creativity, and intellect above all, inspire me as I seek out my path.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Paul-Henri Pesquiet
Fleurine Pospiech
Daniel Featherstone
V. Nina Westervelt

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