Born in Port-au-Prince in 1956. Of Haitian origin, Helmer Joseph moved to Quebec with his family in 1977. He studied fashion design at LaSalle College, then moved to Paris in 1983. Throughout his career, he perfected himself by following multiple technical and artistic courses: he attended more than sixteen specialized Parisian schools and obtained as many degrees, in particular from the École Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode (ESMOD), the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture and the École de Broderie d'Art Lesage.
For more than twenty years, he collaborated with the biggest names in high fashion, luxury ready-to-wear and French entertainment: Claude Montana for the creation of samples for his collections, John Galliano for his namesake brand, Christian Dior in the tailors and blou workshops, Marc Jacobs at his beginnings at Louis Vuitton, and Christian Lacroix. At the end of the 1990s, in Thierry Mugler's workshops, he participated in the design of several ready-to-wear and high-fashion collections, as well as in the embroidery of the famous “La Chimère” dress.
Returning to Quebec in the early 2000s, he worked with the Quebec fashion designer Philippe Dubuc on patterns and samples for his collections. For his own collections, Helmer Joseph calls on the best artisans in Quebec, including the Montreal glass artist Jean-Marie Giguère, with whom he creates spectacular glass dresses and headpieces, true creations of local high fashion.
Eva Friede, formerly fashion editor at the Montreal newspaper The Gazette, recalls: “In Helmer Joseph's work, art and craft come together in an exuberant marriage of colors and volumes. When I covered her first show, I was very impressed. His collection was exceptional in terms of tailoring, but also testified to exceptional talent. For the collections that followed, Helmer Joseph demonstrated the full breadth of his art in wispy organza creations, with fun ruffles, stunning beadwork, and accessories created in the purest tradition of high fashion.”