Public School Returns to NYFW Fall 2026 With City-Ready Workwear

Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne made their long-awaited return to New York Fashion Week on February 12, 2026, presenting a Fall ready-to-wear collection that read as downtown tailoring-as-armor. The runway was unapologetically city-ready - layered textures, utility-minded suiting and urban outerwear - and the most talk-worthy image was a satiny red bomber worn over a slouchy double-breasted suit, a look Christian Allaire singled out as, "So good."

The collection leaned into architecture and movement rather than ornament. Tailoring came in sharply cut wrap blazers with boxier shoulders and pieces described as "tailoring reworked through a more fluid architectural lens." Dao-Yi Chow set the tone plainly: "The starting point has always been this idea of having a sophisticated ease," which explained the show’s measured balance between structure and relaxed proportions.

Street codes remained central. Maxwell Osborne summed up the wardrobe’s practical romance: "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." That philosophy showed up in elevated parkas and bomber jackets that were gathered in the back to create shape, and in at least one outerwear experiment that added extra arm holes, turning sleeves into ornamental details rather than simple function.

Sound and reaction reinforced the comeback narrative. Models walked to a mix of classic hip-hop songs and the house music moment registered in the week’s coverage when Madeline Fass admitted she "couldn’t help but tap my foot to the 'Losing My Edge' cut from LCD Soundsystem at Public School’s return." The crowd cheered, with many audience members smiling and pointing at looks, a reception that reporters called an indicator of genuine goodwill and an appetite among Public School’s customer for what Osborne and Chow are serving.

The return carries business context as well as nostalgia. The duo re-entered NYFW after seven years away, bringing with them the institutional knowledge of a shared career that included a brief stint at DKNY and years building Public School. Maxwell Osborne also carries momentum outside the label; his other brand Anonlychild was recently selected as a finalist for the annual Fashion Trust U.S., a nod to the founders’ embeddedness in the fashion ecosystem even during the hiatus.

Coverage of the show pointed to broader commercial signals. WWD ran headlines on the same pages that highlighted a potential Air Jordan collaboration, listed Monica and Fabolous among names in the celebrity pages, and flagged an exclusive tie-in for Allen Edmonds Reserve shoes shown on the Fall 2026 runway. Those items suggest the comeback is being staged not only as a creative return but as a business-angled relaunch with footwear and sneaker synergies already appearing in the conversation.

Public School’s Fall 2026 felt less like a nostalgia act and more like a repositioning. The duo returned older and steadier, offering utility-minded suits and outerwear that promise immediate wearability for city life and clear signals of commercial intent for what comes next.