Back in April, the big news that Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne of Public School would be taking over the creative reins of the iconic New York brand DKNY hit. A couple months later, the namesake behind the LVMH-owned Donna Karan International, Donna Karan herself, stepped down from her post, effectively marking the start of a new era.
Now, the brand is in full tabula rasa form, purging its social media accounts and setting up for the beginning of the new beginning. It's Instagram account reads: "Work in progress. 9.16.15," effectively planting the flag that stands for the Public School duo's debut DKNY collection affixed with a black and white mosaic layout of old New York featuring a woman walking across an intersection down in the Financial District near the New York Stock Exchange previously teased on both Chow and Osborne's personal accounts. The brand's new and improved Twitter account—formerly @DKNYPRGIRL run by SVP of global communications, Aliza Licht—remains fairly empty as well. In a world where social media determines activity in life, it's clear that DKNY is prepping for its next move.
Outside of the women's collection set for that September date during New York Fashion Week, we don't have any real information about the men's side of things. Rumors are that the brand is going to wait a couple of seasons before reintroducing men's and use the response to the women's collection as a litmus test. How true those are, I'm not sure. But such a paramount New York brand that has had such a distinct men's look deserves to bring it back. Hopefully Dao-Yi and Maxwell can sharpen the edge when the time comes.
