How Public School and KAY Created a Jacket Studded With Over 500 Diamonds

2 min read

When it comes to menswear brands, Public School is well-known for its designers Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne taking classic tailoring, prep elements, and streetwear and deconstructing everything you thought you knew, seamlessly creating a buzzy, perfectly original vision that is wholly New York. That was also the case at the label’s spring/summer 2027 show last night, where relaxed suiting and easy outerwear layers dominated.

But perhaps the most standout piece of all was actually worn by one of the designers himself. Glittering across the runway as he took his final bow, designer Dao-Yi Chow’s navy blue leather anorak jacket sparkled with over 500 round and oval diamonds. Designed in collaboration with KAY, each hand-chosen diamond was at least 1 carat in size. The bespoke, one-of-one piece is estimated to have a value of $200,000.

Designer Dao-Yi Chow in the diamond-studded jacket.

“The jacket represents the hero piece of when we set out for spring 2027, which is the idea of the elements and being prepared for anything that comes your way,” Chow told ELLE backstage, just moments before the show. “When we think about the uniform, for the man, you know, in New York City or any big city, 10, 15 years from now, we know that they’re going to have to deal with this extreme sort of unpredictable weather and elements. So the diamonds we really were treating as raindrops, like as its own element, you know, and the idea of sort of rain as a constant factor in all of our lives, but also being prepared and looking great.”

A look from Public School spring/summer 2027.

The jacket was the ultimate dedication to fashion and fine jewelry. Sure, we’ve seen rhinestones and crystals on the runway—but a jacket studded in real diamonds is truly a rarity.

“At first we thought we had enough, and then, and we were like, more, more now, more,” Chow says with a laugh. It’s also the first time the designer duo has ever worked with fine jewelry on their clothing. Even though they love sparkle. Think: crystal-studded biker motifs. As a vibe-y version of “I Can’t Stand the Rain” played during the show, it really set the mood for an understated, dark-and-stormy, unique take on New York-centric menswear.

Chow said the piece is key to “this idea and this discussion and modularity. It’s all the different layers and all the different levels of building and accessories. You know, to really fully prepare the guy, his way.” Diamonds are a boy’s best friend, too.