Bach Mai Says Bye-bye Berkeley

by · WWD
Bach Mai with students from Berkeley College.Courtesy of Robert Duffy

The academic year is officially over for Berkeley students and one demi-couturier.

On June 17, Bach Mai marked the end of his tenure as Designer-in-Residence at the Manhattan college, where he’s been working out of a makeshift atelier in the basement since last July. “It’s such a generous gift, what they’re offering,” he said, during the evening reception, “a studio, space to work, to breathe.”

For Mai, whose eveningwear is stocked at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, the Berkeley residency couldn’t have come at a more opportune time given Saks Global’s bankruptcy filing. “Many New Yorkers know the oppressive weight of paying rent every month, and not having that gave me the freedom to focus on our private clients and build relationships with specialty stores,” he said.

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Bach Mai with students from Berkeley College.

But more than just rent money in his back pocket, Mai is leaving Berkeley creatively recharged. The former FIT and Parsons teacher said it was a joy being back in the classroom. “The students have such great energy. They can be so excited about the world ahead, so that’s always refreshing to see.”

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Mai pointed to an 80-look charity fashion show they helped put on in his hometown of Houston as an example. “Their ideas were well beyond the budget,” he chuckled, “but just to see the creativity they brought to the project was fascinating.”

Berkeley introduced the Designer-in-Residence program in 2022 as an experiential learning component of its merchandising and management major. Simulating the day-to-day of a fashion internship, students assist in the showroom, design room and sample room while also completing administrative tasks tied to public relations and wholesale.

Their hard work culminated in the farewell reception, where industry professionals and past designer-in-residence Chucks Collins talked with Mai’s mentees, making for a stellar networking opportunity ahead of the summer break. Guests also engaged in a parlor game that involved matching quotes to looks from his past collections.

Jamie Singer Soros wearing Bach Mai at the 2026 Met Gala.Lexie Moreland/WWD

Berkeley senior Arnold Bargas said Mai is “a big inspiration,” and that seeing Jamie Singer Soros at the Met Gala in his completed ballgown made schlepping fabric bolts around the Garment District worthwhile. “That day was very motivating and showed me I’m on the right path,” he added.

As for Mai’s path, “I’m still figuring that out,” he admitted. “We’re working on the next collection, gearing up for September, but I don’t know where I’m gonna go, and I have to be out in two weeks.”