Public School is a brand well-acquainted with innovation and change. Designers Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, who are CFDA Incubator and CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund alumni as well as the creative directors of DKNY, are known for pushing the boundaries. The duo not only opted to break from the traditional Fashion Calendar schedule in recent seasons but now they have teamed up with tech juggernaut Fitbit for a collection of fitness accessory bands and bracelets.
CFDA.com sat down with the designers for more on their new collaboration.
When did you both first become interested in technology?
Dao-Yi Chow: When there used to be America Online, and those dial ups would take super long to load and would make all those weird noises. I would think, ‘what the hell are these noises?’ Then I realized it was the computers talking to each other.
Tell us about your collaboration with Fitbit and what consumers can expect.
Dao-Yi Chow: It was exciting to be able to work with a big company such as FitBit. We took a low-fi approach to doing things that Fitbit would not normally do. When you think about them, you think about a big company, so we designed an open-faced watch and rubber band styled version, which are both anti-high-fi.
Maxwell Osborne: We took our Public School approach and designed items around that. Things we’d wear in our day-to-day lifestyles. Pieces that were both light and had a laid back design to them.
How has technology played a role in your approach to design?
Dao-Yi Chow: Tech is all about convenience, making your life easier and better. That is the way we always approach and look at clothing in general.
Maxwell Osborne: We look at putting the ease back into something and making it versatile. Making clothes that are convenient for you to wear throughout the day for different occasions or scenarios. We look at technology to be the same.
What apps are you are obsessed with right now?
Dao-Yi Chow: For me, Dark Sky. I’m obsessed with the weather.
Maxwell Osborne: SNL.
Editor’s Note: Tech Talks is a recurring series highlighting individuals who have demonstrated singular achievements within the technology/fashion ecosystem. Click here for past Tech Talks.
