FERN's Skyline Series reads Kuala Lumpur like a second skin

Malaysian refined resortwear FERN returns to the runway this season with a proposition worth sitting with: the city itself is the muse. THE SKYLINE SERIES, FERN's Resortwear 2026 collection, takes the towers that define Kuala Lumpur and folds them into batik, treating architecture as a living pattern book rather than a backdrop.

The premise is simple and confident. Malaysia's skyline has always carried meaning beyond steel and glass; it is a record of ambition, craft and continuity. FERN reads that record closely, translating vertical lines, layered façades and shifting light into cloth. The result is a collection that feels architectural in spirit and entirely wearable in practice.

Photo 1: Former Malaysian Fencer, Jujus (@kingjujus) and her husband wear looks from FERN's Peranakan Series. Jujus wears the Amiya Dress in Nyonya Lace Flower Batik Block Print, while he wears the Regular Cut Men's Shirt in Lattice Bloom Batik Block Print.

Photo 2: Fern Chua stands alongside models showcasing looks from FERN's Resortwear 2026: The Skyline Series collection.

Where the City Becomes Cloth

The design language draws directly from two of Kuala Lumpur's most recognisable landmarks. Merdeka 118 lends its glass façade a colour story that shifts with the light, moving from open-sky blues into richer, warmer tones as reflections of cloud and steel city lights settle into the print. The PETRONAS Twin Towers contribute their smooth, reflective surfaces, which FERN reinterprets through texture and structure, letting the language of batik carry both the polish of the towers and the handcraft behind every piece.

Colour is where the collection does its most expressive work. Inspired by Kuala Lumpur's ever-changing skies, the palette moves through a full day in a single line: the quiet promise of dawn, the warmth of sunset, and the brilliance of city lights after dark. Deep blues ease into orange, pink and gold, a gradient that mirrors both the sky above the city and the confidence of a nation that keeps building on its own heritage.

Silhouette-wise, FERN keeps the focus on ease. Fluid cuts in breathable cotton, silk and linen let structure and movement sit comfortably together, giving the collection the kind of effortless elegance that suits resort dressing and city life in equal measure. The collection was presented at W Kuala Lumpur, a setting that matched its modern, reflective mood.

FERN's SKYLINE Series lookbook for men.

Heritage, Read Forward

What makes SKYLINE worth featuring here is the idea underneath the prints. FERN treats batik as a craft that keeps moving, always finding new forms rather than staying fixed to one. This collection is a clear expression of that belief: heritage carried into the present through architecture, colour and craftsmanship, rather than set aside as something purely historical.

Founded in 2015 by Malaysian designer Fern Chua, FERN has built its identity around exactly this kind of reinterpretation. Known for resortwear that pairs traditional batik craftsmanship with modern silhouettes, the brand works in natural materials, cotton, silk and linen, and continues to explore contemporary techniques, bold palettes and artisanal collaborations while keeping local craftsmanship at the centre of the work. SKYLINE extends that mission with a collection that reads as proudly Malaysian and genuinely global at once.

The Details

THE SKYLINE SERIES arrives in stores from 15 August 2026, available at FERN's flagship store, FERN Bangsar Village II, UGF 17A, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, as well as through FERN's official online platform.

For those looking to experience the collection in person, Bangsar Village II remains the place to see the full range up close, from the dawn-toned pieces to the city-light golds, styled the way FERN intended: as an ode to Kuala Lumpur, worn.

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