Summary

• Wisdom Kaye wore a custom look designed by Public School founders Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne for the 2026 Met Gala
• The bespoke ensemble features a velvet cropped jacket, dual corsets, detached hip pants, and mechanical gauntlet gloves
• All vintage fabrics, garments, and accessories were sourced via eBay to champion responsible design and upcycling

At the 2026 Met Gala, Wisdom Kaye wore a custom Public School ensemble that bridged the gap between historical reconstruction and futuristic tailoring. Representing a masterful exercise in responsible design, the look saw Public School founders Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne entirely upcycle vintage garments and accessories to create a defining, multi-era moment on the red carpet.

The architectural garment is rooted in a profound exploration of how the human body has been contextualized across multiple time periods. To achieve this ambitious narrative, Chow and Osborne sourced all of the look’s vintage fabrics, garments, and accessories directly from eBay. This deliberate sourcing method not only anchored the project in sustainable, responsible design, but it also provided a massive, accessible archive of raw materials, allowing the design duo to focus their energy strictly on intricate tailoring and dramatic reconstruction.

By deconstructing pieces from various eras, Public School crafted a multi-layered silhouette that is as aggressive as it is elegant. Kaye’s final red carpet look featured a custom velvet cropped jacket accented by a silk faille lapel, layered over a high-collar jacquard shirt and a satin silk tie. The lower half was defined by experimental detached hip pants, while the torso was structured using an intense dual-corset system — combining a leather hide corset with a lace grommet back and a rigid metal boning corset. The time-bending aesthetic was ultimately punctuated by a pair of mechanical gauntlet gloves, completing a vision that seamlessly collapses the past, present, and future into a single silhouette.

“We sourced the vintage fabrics, garments and accessories for our looks all on eBay, which felt really true to how we approach responsible design. Having a wide range of options in one place left time and space for us to focus on tailoring and reconstruction in order to transform the sourced materials and items into the looks you see today,” Chow and Osborne said in a shared statement. “Our concept was rooted in exploring the context of the body across multiple time periods. With eBay we had one place to search and source our materials, which was both convenient and inspiring.”