About the studio.
At Yvette Helin Studio, we understand that you're not just looking for a costume—you’re looking to bring a character, story, or vision fully to life. Whether you’re producing a theatrical spectacle, a commercial shoot, a live event, or a theme park experience, you need costumes that captivate, perform, and endure. That’s where we come in. Based in Brooklyn’s creative hub of Greenpoint, Yvette Helin Studio offers specialty costume design and custom costume creation for theater, film, television, advertising, fashion, and private clients. Known for sculptural and theatrical costumes, character work, and mascots, we help you realize bold creative ideas with meticulous craftsmanship. We are here to support visionary artists, producers, directors, designers, and brands in making the extraordinary wearable.
Founded by artist and designer Yvette Helin, the studio blends a background in sculpture, performance art, and costumes to create pieces that are as functional as they are fantastical. Every project is a collaboration—with performers, producers, stylists, and brands who care about detail and visual storytelling.
Yvette Helin
Studio Founder & Lead Designer
At 16, my parents told me that if I made my own clothes they would buy the fabric. When I exceeded their budget I went to the local fabric store and made a deal with them to make clothes for their store displays. They would provide fabric and notions, and I would get the clothes later. I went to art college and those clothes turned into costumes that I would make for myself and for others. My major areas of focus were in sculpture and textiles. When I graduated in 1985, I remember thinking, “I want to be paid to learn”. I moved to New York where I got my first job working at Henson Associates making Sesame Street Live costumes. I did a lot of work in Broadway costume shops, independent film companies, and as an artist’s assistant to Dennis Oppenheim.
Costume making was my favorite thing as it used every skill I had learned up to that point and continued to teach me more. I was hooked very early on by the fascinating process of creating costumes.
In 1996, I was hired by Julie Taymor to be the costume maker for The Lion King Workshop, which developed the infamous Lion King on Broadway. Later, after the show was green-lighted, I made several pieces for the actual show that are still used today.
Clients were now coming directly to me for character costumes and challenging builds.
I formed my LLC and built my first big studio in 1999 when I was awarded a large job making Nickelodeon characters for Paramount Parks and Universal Studios. We supplied the parks with costumes of the Nick characters that we developed closely with the Nickelodeon team. Many character costumes were made for the Nick properties. It took a village.
Many projects have happened since and I continue to learn something new with each project. I love to make interesting things and respond well to technical challenges, regardless of the context.