We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Markus & Nikolas Fernandez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Markus & Nikolas, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career

Something we’d change about the education system is focusing more on practical life skills and entrepreneurship. In school, we’ve learned a lot of things but not much about how to start and run a business. When we launched Classical Waves, we had to figure out things like marketing and budgeting on our own. It would’ve been helpful to have classes that taught us real-world skills like that. For example, when we were designing for Classical Waves, we had the creativity down but had no idea how to promote our brand or manage orders. We had to teach ourselves things through YouTube videos and trial and error. If schools had courses that helped students turn their ideas into reality, it would save a lot of stress and make careers like ours more accessible to everyone. Teaching kids how to balance school, business, and life is huge! We started Classical Waves while still in school, and juggling everything taught us that managing time and mental energy is key. If students were taught how to prioritize their goals and navigate the ups and downs of life early on, they’d be better set for whatever path they choose.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

We’re Markus (13) and Nikolas Fernandez (16), the brothers behind Classical Waves. Our brand is a reflection of our shared passion for the outdoors, fishing, and fashion. Classical Waves began as an idea about three years ago, born out of our desire to create something that truly captures the adventurous spirit of life on the water. Nikolas, who competes on the Varsity Rowing Team at Belen Jesuit, spends a lot of time training on the water, while Markus has always been drawn to fishing, outdoor activities, and fashion. Together, we wanted to build a brand that embodies that lifestyle—something people of all ages can enjoy wearing. Launching Classical Waves together felt natural because we’re super close and have always wanted to do something together.

Our dad, who works in finance, introduced us to the concept of a “classical wave”—a math equation describing waves in one dimension. That name stuck with us, and it became the inspiration for our brand. Once we had the name, we focused on sourcing the best materials for outdoor activities in the Miami sun. We also researched how to get our products made, market them, and deliver them to customers. It’s been a lot of work, but we’ve had so much fun learning along the way.

What sets Classical Waves apart is our connection to Miami. Our designs reflect the vibrant ocean colors and the city life with shades of blue, green, gray, and white. We’re big on versatility too, so all our items are designed to go from day to night, combining classic styles that can be dressed up or down. Our t-shirts are inspired by casual menswear—high-quality, super lightweight, and comfortable—you’ll never want to take them off!

We’re most proud of how hands-on we’ve been with everything, from designing the logo to making sure the materials meet our high standards. We’ve gone through challenges, like redesigning our logo six times and dealing with errors in printing and design, but it’s all part of the process. Comfort is key for us, so we ensure our shirts are made from high-quality, lightweight, and soft materials. We want you to feel like you never want to take them off. Classical Waves is about blending our love for the sea and city life into a brand that resonates with anyone who shares our passion for the ocean and outdoor adventures!

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

How did we meet? Well, thats a complicated story… we’ve known each other our whole lives. We met in the hospital when Markus was born—he didn’t have much to say at the time. Growing up, our parents always encouraged us to chase after whatever dreams we came up with—whether that was building a treehouse, starting a fishing club, or, eventually, creating Classical Waves. They believed in every crazy idea we had and gave us the support to turn those dreams into reality.
We spent so much time outdoors—fishing, boating, and competing to see who could catch the biggest fish (Nikolas was usually the champ). After one of our fishing trips, we realized we should do something bigger together than just competing with each other. With the support of our family and friends, that idea became Classical Waves. It started as just a dream, but thanks to the encouragement of everyone around us, it became something real—and way cooler than our treehouse plans!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

When we first started building our social media, we really didn’t know where to start. But we knew one thing: we had to stay true to who we are and what our brand represents. We started by posting content that felt authentic to our love for the ocean, Miami, and our lifestyle. Whether it was us out on the boat, sharing behind-the-scenes or talking about things that inspired Classical Waves, we wanted people to see the real us. We pull inspiration from other things we see online and from brands that we admire. As we continue to build our presence on social media, we are definitely leaning on the Miami community more, looking into working with local influencers and content creators to bring awareness to our brand.

One piece of advice we’d give to anyone just starting out is to stay consistent and be yourself. People can tell when you’re genuine, and that’s what makes them want to follow along. Also, don’t be afraid to engage with your audience. We always respond to comments and messages because it helps build real connections with our followers. It takes time but we continue to focus on creating content we are proud of, and the audience will grow naturally.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.classicalwaves.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/classicalwaves

Image Credits

Jose Seijo