Public School New York returned to New York Fashion Week on Thursday, September 10, with its second collection since relaunching, titled LIVING PROOF. Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow use Spring Summer 2027 to examine their current surroundings, the memories that shaped them and the uncertainty that informs daily life.
SPRING SUMMER 2027
Following Fall 2026, which the designers described as a homecoming, Spring 2027 surveys territory that feels new and familiar. Osborne and Chow approach the season through modular dressing, creating a wardrobe that responds to changing conditions and practical needs. Their ideas draw from childhood memories alongside concerns about volatile times ahead.
The designers build the collection through a broad material selection. Natural wool appears alongside baby ribbed cotton, yarn-dyed cupro, viscose and cashmere cotton. Washed synthetics and ripstop nylon add technical qualities to the mix. Public School uses these fabrics to create clothing suited to unpredictable conditions and the demands of city life.
Navy, black, grey and stone define the color palette. The designers combine these shades throughout the collection to support versatility and utility. The colors also connect with an idea of camouflage within a large city, where clothing can respond to its surroundings while keeping the wearer prepared for changing circumstances.
For Spring Summer 2027, Osborne and Chow also reconsider the meaning of a uniform. Their concept treats education as an ongoing experience outside the classroom and uses clothing as equipment for daily life. The styling follows the established Public School attitude, pairing relaxed dressing with an alert approach to protection.
Broad, built-out shoulders return as a recognizable Public School design code. The added volume suggests another layer of skin against weather conditions such as wind and rain. Waterproof galoshes cover a new selection of footwear featuring exaggerated toe springs. Woven shirts meet soft jersey pieces that wrap around the body, creating additional layers and variations in texture.
Layering plays a major part throughout the wardrobe. Garments can peel away and expose underpinnings that respond to the body and create shape. Osborne and Chow also introduce hardware-free belts that function as cross-shoulder straps. The straps allow wearers to carry clothing and accessories and appear throughout the looks as a practical extension of the garments.
These elements connect Public School’s established design language with the designers’ current ideas about adaptability, protection and urban dressing. LIVING PROOF treats the wardrobe as a flexible system shaped by memory, changing environments and the practical demands that accompany everyday life.
