Oscars

From Megan Thee Stallion to Liza Koshy, another Houston gem talks about designing for the red carpet

ByDesiree Cantu KTRK logo

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Houston-born designer talks about influence of fashion

Bach Mai, a Houston-born fashion designer, spoke about working with Megan Thee Stallion at the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar party.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston native and rapper Megan Thee Stallion's return to the red carpet for the Vanity Fair Oscar party in March 2023 included a head-turning reveal -- a custom-made gown made by a fellow Houstonian.

Bach Mai is a fashion designer from Houston who made his way to the Hollywood scene. He told ABC13 about his experience designing looks on the red carpet and his thoughts on how fashion influences movies, trends, and culture.

"Celebrity dressing is always a wild ride," Mai said, recalling when Megan Thee Stallion's iconic stylist Law Roach reached out to him. "I was in Houston at the time, and I flew back to New York the next day. We pulled that dress together in about four days, and then I flew to L.A. with the dress."

Bach Mai has designed for countless celebrities, including another Houston celebrity, Liza Koshy. Mai launched his brand in 2021, and he said he loves working with everyone, but collaborating with fellow Houstonians makes the designing process all the more sentimental.

"I think there's a certain glamour and a certain way of dressing that's so special (in Texas). I say all the time, 'There must be something special in the water,' because so many American designers who are very well known for their evening wear come from Texas. That's Daniel Roseberry, Brandon Maxwell, and Tom Ford. I mean, there's really an understanding of glamour that's very special that comes from Texas," Maid said. "I mean, Texans are already dressing a lot of the red carpet."

From the big screens to the red carpet, it's clear that costume design and motion pictures have a strong influence on culture. He points out that fashion is heavily ingrained in the overall film experience.

"With the red carpet being such an important arena for fashion now, that's also just played a role," Mai said. "(Movies, fashion, and culture) have such a conversation back and forth with each other and we've really saw that this past press tour season with 'Barbie.'"

The couture fashion designer said wardrobe not only provides the visual language but is also used to tell a character's internal story.

"That's what the character live their lives in. It can help you really learn more about that character," Mai said. "You see the effect of 'Barbie' as a cultural phenomenon that then impacts fashion which is just also a reflection of culture in itself."

Bach Mai believes the Hollywood actor's strike last year has made the award season even more intense, including on the red carpet.

"I have no idea what's going to happen on Sunday. This red carpet season has been completely different than what I was initially expecting," Mai said. "But I think we'll see lots of grand dresses. I think it's going to be a moment. I think especially after the strike last year, that's what's made this particular award season so intense is that so many events have been truncated into a short amount of time. But the Oscars is still sort of the capstone of that."