Public School Fall 2026
After seven years away, Public School New York returned to the runway with a sense of urgency and purpose. On February 11, co-founders Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne stepped back into the format that once defined their rise, presenting a collection titled Everything Is Now. The headline left on the seats of guests couldn’t have been more fitting: a city and an industry always in motion now welcomed a brand that had paused, reflected, and returned on its own terms. The duo’s vision this season wasn’t about reclaiming past glory—it was about assertion, presence, and the refinement that comes from absence.
From the opening look—a head-to-toe denim ensemble with a cropped boxy jacket, straight-leg jeans, black beret, Moscot eyewear, and black gloves—the collection hinted at its theme: modern resistance. Throughout, Public School FW26 balanced tailoring with fluidity, structure with ease. Wrap blazers with boxy shoulders, pebbled leather jackets and trousers, and parkas gathered at the back to sculpt the form suggested precision and creativity in equal measure. A notable design touch added ornamental sleeves through extra armholes, demonstrating that even subtle deviations could signal innovation. Every garment conveyed discipline without stiffness, reflecting designers who understand both control and fatigue.
Music played a crucial role in shaping the mood: a mix of classic hip-hop tracks energized the runway, drawing smiles and cheers from a crowd clearly thrilled by the brand’s return. The production embraced restraint. Stylist Ronald Burton III allowed silhouettes to carry weight, while IMCD Lighting sharpened edges and deepened shadows, emphasizing the collection’s architecture. Sound design by EightyPro, paired with Ibe Soliman and Bad Colours, created a rhythm that mirrored the tension between movement and pause, reflecting the designers’ philosophy of taking time, stepping back, and returning with sharper instincts.
The duo’s approach was as much philosophical as it was sartorial. Chow and Osborne framed the collection through themes of loss and rediscovery, resistance and surrender. Every detail, from elongated outerwear lines to purposeful layering, reinforced the idea that absence can refine intuition and creativity. The collection communicated urgency without panic, recognizing that New York does not wait—and neither should those who dare to define it.
Public School’s return is not confined to the runway. A retail activation at Retail Innovations Lab at High Line Nine, running February 12–14, offered pop-up access to custom embroidery, tailor-made suiting, conversation series, and DJ sets in partnership with SAP and N4XT Experiences. The format bridged runway and community, demonstrating that the brand’s identity is inseparable from the city that nurtured it. This direct-to-consumer focus, alongside a Chelsea pop-up featuring key pieces for purchase, signals a thoughtful, modern strategy that aligns with the urgency and sophistication of Everything Is Now.
In FW26, Public School New York proves that stepping away can sharpen a brand’s voice. By pairing architectural tailoring with streetwise energy, urban rhythm with reflection, Chow and Osborne have returned not merely as designers, but as storytellers of a city, a generation, and a creative ethos that refuses to pause. Their narrative is clear: absence informs presence, and now, everything truly is now.
