There was magic in the air on Friday night.
It was early in the evening in the Financial District, and guests were lined up inside the building lobby of two Michelin-star restaurant Saga. Glasses of Ace of Spade Champagne were being passed out, and groups were being directed to floors based on the bracelets they were handed upon arrival — moon, sun, star and diamond.
“There’s a magician on the line,” said a production staffer, fielding questions about what, exactly, was underway. “That’s all I know.”
Fashion insiders had more intel: the orchestrator of the experiential evening was Public School, and the brand was marking its return. Designers Maxwell Osbourne and Dao-Yi Chow have been flirting with a brand relaunch, and what better time than fashion week?
“ Public school is certainly back,” said Chow, on the balcony at Saga at the start of the evening. ”It’s been bubbling for a while. We always knew we would come back at some point, so it wasn’t if, but a when,” he added. “We really feel this burgeoning renaissance that’s happening here in New York City. We’ve always been inextricably tied to New York City. I think for a while people were really down on New York, and we took that personally. So our return is tied hand-in-hand with New York City’s return.”
The three-part experiential Club Supper event included a dinner at Saga, a jazz performance by the Max Roach Estate Quintet, and a comedy set by Donnell Rawlings. Many in the crowd — hosts, staff and friends alike — were dressed in Public School “preview” looks. But Chow stressed the night wasn’t about the collection: it was about celebrating New York and reintroducing people to the “world of Public School.”
“It really is just about the world, and less about the collection for this particular moment,” said Chow. “That’s how we envisioned coming back, was sharing it with friends and family. And what do you do when you come back home? You meet, and you break bread. And that’s what we want to do.”
Fabolous at the Public School New York Club Supper during New York Fashion Week.
Gilbert Flores/WWD
The evening was slightly chaotic and quickly unsynchronized as the first dinner group, which included Sunisa Lee, Fabolous and more, ignored initial invitations to sit in lieu of sunset views of the East River from the 63rd floor balcony. As other guests like Futura, Natasha Lyonne, Common and Marisa Tomei arrived at Saga after their initial experiences, and hungry for more, dinner was just getting underway for the Moon group.
“I was bringing them back out for the relaunch,” said Fabolous, showing off his Public School Air Jordans to Tyson Bedford at a nearby dinner table between courses.
Back on the balcony, the magician was doing his best to charm basketball players Devin Booker and Jordan Clarkson with card tricks. As guests swelled outside the dining room, Chow and Osbourne led the lively room in a toast to New York and invitation to continue on to the comedy show.
“Once you have dessert,” instructed Chow, and Osbourne immediately cut in: “You gotta get out of this joint.”
Common at the Public School New York Club Supper during New York Fashion Week.
Gilbert Flores/WWD
