Helmer

Helmer Joseph is a luxury fashion designer trained in various haute couture professions. Born in Haiti, he immigrated to Montreal with his family at the age of 20. He studied design at LaSalle College before launching his first collection in 1982.

The following year, he moved to Paris to train at various institutions, notably the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne fashion school, the Lesage school of embroidery art, and ESMOD, the École supérieure des arts et techniques de la mode. Helmer Joseph then did contract work for several major fashion houses including Louis Vuitton, Dior and Chloé.

He returned to Montreal in 2004 to create his own collections twice yearly under the Helmer label. With an approach that blends art and fashion, his creations are made for a niche clientele that lives all over the world. He designs, produces and sells his work in his St. Lawrence Boulevard workshop/store, which opened in 2009. Some particularly spectacular pieces have been featured in exhibitions, notably at the McCord Museum and the Musée de la civilisation in Quebec City.