Berkeley College Welcomes Aaron Potts as Designer-in-Residence, Bridging Industry and Education Through Hands-On Learning

BERKELEY COLLEGE WELCOMES AARON POTTS AS DESIGNER-IN-RESIDENCE,
BRIDGING INDUSTRY AND EDUCATION THROUGH HANDS-ON LEARNING

Photo Caption: Models pose in various fashion pieces designed by Aaron Potts for his brand A.Potts. Berkeley College will continue its Designer-in-Residence program with designer Aaron Potts, who will begin his residency at the New York City campus in July 2026. The Berkeley College Designer-in-Residence program, which began in 2022, offers fashion designers the opportunity to collaborate with the next generation of industry professionals.

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Berkeley College will continue its Designer-in-Residence program with designer Aaron Potts. Potts will begin his residency at the New York City campus in July 2026. The Berkeley College Designer-in-Residence program, which began in 2022, offers fashion designers the opportunity to collaborate with the next generation of industry professionals. The program reflects the College's commitment to bridging academia and industry, providing a Manhattan-based workspace to fashion talent while offering students real-world experiences that prepare them for career success.

Designers engage with students through classroom involvement, mentorship, and hands-on learning. Berkeley College interns and volunteers have prepared garments for New York Fashion Week, created public relations campaigns, and helped support the designers' creative visions while receiving real-time feedback. Previous designers-in-residence include Kibonen Nfi, Chuks Collins, and Bach Mai.

Photo Caption: Berkeley College will continue its Designer-in-Residence program with designer Aaron Potts (above), who will begin his residency at the New York City campus in July 2026. The Berkeley College Designer-in-Residence program, which began in 2022, offers fashion designers the opportunity to collaborate with the next generation of industry professionals.

"I look forward to sharing my experience, knowledge, and passion for the industry while mentoring students with compassion, positivity, and purpose," Potts said. "My goal is to provide hands-on experiences that prepare them for the realities of the fashion business, but, even more importantly, to help them build the confidence, character, and strong foundation to become not only successful professionals, but thoughtful, generous human beings."

Potts, originally from Detroit, MI, attended Parsons School of Design and worked for designers including Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, Emanuel Ungago, Escada, Tamara Mellon, and others. He launched his brand, A.Potts, in spring 2019, which he describes as "modern, practical, creative fashion for people with artful lives."

A.Potts won the 2020 Fashion Group International Award for Best All-Gender Design and A.Potts was chosen as a "Paradigm Shifting NYC Designer" by Harper's Bazaar. Potts' work has also been featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibit "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion" as well as in various publications, including Vogue, the New York Times, and L'Officiel.

Potts' residency follows that of Bach Mai's, who was the 2025-2026 Designer-in-Residence. Mai concluded his tenure with a Last Atelier Night celebration planned by Berkeley College students in the Fashion Public Relations and Events course.

"Students will love being at the A.Potts sample room, showroom, and being part of the A.Potts magic in their classes," said Andrea Kennedy, Lead Faculty, Fashion, Berkeley College Larry L. Luing School of Business®. "Our students will benefit from Aaron Potts' knowledge, network, and the joy he brings to every conversation. I know students will be energized by Aaron's sense of design and collection that includes utilitarian, forward, gender-neutral, urban styles that are modern, comfortable, and bold."

About Fashion at Berkeley College

The Berkeley College degree programs in Fashion Merchandising and Management focus on the business side of the fashion industry, training students in all aspects of the fashion global supply chain, including consumer behavior, product development, brand communications, marketing, and more. Concentrations are available in artificial intelligence and machine learning, digital and social media, graphic design, international business, supply chain management, and other areas.

About Berkeley College

Berkeley College, founded in 1931, is a career-focused institution accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that offers students Master's, Bachelor's, and Associate's degree and Certificate programs in more than 20 career fields. The College also offers Continuing Education programs to enhance career credentials.

Berkeley College has campuses in New York City and in Newark, Woodbridge, and Woodland Park, NJ, with more than 4,000 students enrolled. In addition, Berkeley College Online® serves a global population. U.S. News & World Report has named Berkeley College among the Best Colleges for Online Bachelor's Programs and among the Best Online Bachelor's Programs for Veterans for 13 consecutive years. Berkeley College is also ranked among the Best Regional Colleges/Universities in the North in the 2026 edition of the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges survey. The website address is https://BerkeleyCollege.edu.

The mission of Berkeley College is to empower each student to achieve lifelong success.

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