Public School’s Politically Charged Runway Show Sends Clear Message: “We Need Leaders"

Public School uses its spring/summer 2017 collection to make a statement about the political landscape.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Public School designers Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow announced they would be abandoning the traditional fashion calendar in April. Instead of presenting by season and gender, the brand is combining its men's and women's collections for shows in June and December.

But, the fashion industry's system isn't the only thing Osborne and Chow are taking a stand against. The brand's latest collection, which was unveiled in New York City Tuesday night, served as a commentary on the current political landscape with the theme "We Need Leaders."

The set design and military-inspired clothing reflected a strong dystopian concept. Sirens blared while models made their way down the runway and workers stood in assembly lines with their faces covered in black mesh. At the end of the show, someone scrawled “We Need Leaders” across a wall with spray paint. 

“The concept of the show really was just a reflection of the political landscape that’s happening not only here in the states but all around the world,” Chow told The Washington Post. “Just this idea of false leaders and false icons that are being built up.”

The collection was designed to be the uniform of the revolution. It featured the same high-end streetwear aesthetic Public School is known for, but had a heavy military influence seen in pieces like the top coats, boxy parachute parkas, and cropped bombers. The usual black and gray color palette was dominant throughout the collection, but pops of bright yellow were thrown in to symbolize "a call to action." 

According to Osborne, the Orwellian-inspired presentation was meant to inspire change. “I feel hopeful,” he told The Washington Post. “It’s more about a wake up.”

This isn't the first time fashion and politics have come together on the runway. Recently, Kerby Jean-Raymond used his Pyer Moss show to bring attention to the Black Lives Matter movement. 

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