After seven years, Public School New York returns to the scene. So said a headline on a newspaper left on the seats of show guests Wednesday night, announcing the return of the beloved New York brand cofounded by Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne.
Last season they held an event centered around community and the buzz about a return was now true. “The title of the show is called, ‘Everything Is Now.’ That’s how we feel, the urgency of everything that’s happening around our country and a bubbling renaissance in New York City. Now we have something to say,” Chow said before the show.
The founders deeply understand the fashion ecosystem from their own brand and a brief stint at DKNY. Now admittedly a little bit older and more mature, they’re steadfast.
“The starting point has always been this idea of having a sophisticated ease,” Chow said, explaining that the Public School codes — tailoring, denim, elevated streetwear — are still there but evolved for today.
“We’ve always played with the idea of high and low, a T-shirt with a tailored pant, and that’s what carried throughout the collection,” said Osborne, whose other brand Anonlychild was recently selected as a finalist for the annual Fashion Trust U.S.
The 2026 Public School New York proposal included sharply cut wrap blazers with a boxier shoulder; tailoring reworked through a more fluid architectural lens, and classic elevated parkas and bomber jackets, but gathered in the back to give shape, with one adding extra arm holes, making the sleeves ornamental.
They’ve refined their leathers with pebbled leather on pants and jackets. A head-to-toe denim look opened the show, made up of a boxy cut and cropped jacket paired with a straight-leg jean, black beret, Moscot eyewear and black gloves — a look for the modern resistance they hinted at as a theme.
Coming back means doing it on their terms, with the duo focused on direct-to-consumer and opening a pop-up next week in Chelsea, where several pieces will be available to buy.
The brand chose a mix of classic hip-hop songs as the models walked the runway to cheers from the crowd, many of whom were smiling and pointing at looks. It showed Public School may have been gone for a while but there’s a lot of goodwill and their customer still has an appetite for what Osborne and Chow are serving.
