The New York label’s update of the classic American brand brings heritage and innovation.

If called to speculate on the formative influences behind Public School, the pioneering street- and sport-inflected menswear label designed by New Yorkers Messrs Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, “Polo Ralph Lauren” probably aren’t the first three words that would spring to mind. Yet the brand that has been clothing privileged, country-clubbing Americans since the late 1960s has a secret history as part of hip-hop culture, spectacularly documented in rapper Thirstin Howl The 3rd’s book Bury Me With The Lo On, a collection of images of Polo-obsessed 1990s gang the Lo Lifes, arrayed in eye-popping variations of the brand’s trademark American flag, horse, regalia and teddy-bear prints.

It’s this moment in street culture that is the focus of Public School’s new (and exclusive) capsule collection for MR PORTER, which lands on site today. Having collected Polo as teenagers themselves, Messrs Chow and Osborne have used the capsule to explore “the idea of re-appropriation… taking things that are not intended for a certain use and twisting them to make them [your] own”. The capsule is therefore packed with pleasing non-sequiturs: a striped Oxford shirt with subtly frayed seams; a hoodie embellished with regal medallion patches; a wry tee with the slogan “Dolo” splashed across the front. Head over to Public School’s designer page to see the full range in all its glory, or scroll down for our advice on how to wear it.

This deconstructed blue shirt offers a subtler way to indulge in the current trend for destroyed fabrics, with its neatly frayed stitches around the pocket and patchwork construction. Lest you look like you’re completely falling apart, pair it with something sharp and clean, like this impeccably cut shell bomber.

This white tee is the capsule’s most mischievous nod to its inspiration, but you don’t have to know that to enjoy the pleasing faded quality of the print and Public School’s characteristically graphic fit, with wide sleeves and an oversized neck band. Keep it simple by pairing it with the capsule’s black chinos, which have a neat tapered fit thanks to wide pleats and poppers around the ankles.

This hoodie is, of course, something of a weekend staple, but it’s also that little bit more practical than your average example, thanks to its sturdy zipped pocket (which, embellished with graphic black tape, looks pretty sharp, too). Wear it like a true New Yorker, with one of Public School’s “WNL” caps (the acronym stands for “We Need Leaders” – and isn’t that the truth?).

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